Himalayan serow
The Himalayan serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar), also known as the thar[a] (/θɑːr/ THAR, /tɑːr/ TAR),[2][3] is a subspecies of the mainland serow[4] native to the Himalayas.[1] It was previously considered its own species, as Capricornis thar. It is the official state animal of the Indian state of Mizoram.
| Himalayan serow | |
|---|---|
| Male Himalayan serow in Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim, India | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Genus: | Capricornis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. s. thar |
| Trinomial name | |
| Capricornis sumatraensis thar Hodgson, 1831 | |
Taxonomy edit
In 1831, Brian Houghton Hodgson first described a goat-like animal with short annulated horns occurring in montane regions between the Sutlej and Teesta Rivers under the name "Bubaline Antelope".[5] As "Bubaline" was preoccupied, he gave it the scientific name Antelope thar a few months later.[6] When William Ogilby described the genus Capricornis in 1838, he determined the Himalayan serow as type species of this genus.[7]
Description edit
The Himalayan serow is mostly blackish, with flanks, hindquarters, and upper legs that are a rusty red; its lower legs are whitish.[citation needed]
Distribution and habitat edit
The Himalayan serow inhabits hilly forests above an elevation of 300 m (980 ft), but descends to 100 m (330 ft) in winter.[8] It prefers elevations of 2,500–3,500 m (8,200–11,500 ft) in the Himalayas.[9]
Conservation edit
Capricornis sumatraensis is listed in CITES Appendix I.[1]
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Phan, T.D.; Nijhawan, S.; Li, S. & Xiao, L. (2020). "Capricornis sumatraensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T162916735A162916910. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "thar". The Chambers Dictionary (9th ed.). Chambers. 2003. ISBN 0-550-10105-5.
- ^ "thar". Collins English Dictionary (13th ed.). HarperCollins. 2018. ISBN 978-0-008-28437-4.
- ^ Mori, E.; Nerva, L. & Lovari, S. (2019). "Reclassification of the serows and gorals: the end of a neverending story?". Mammal Review. 49 (3): 256–262. doi:10.1111/mam.12154. S2CID 155777271.
- ^ Hodgson, B.H. (1831). "On the Bubaline Antelope. (Nobis.)". Gleanings in Science. 3 (April): 122–123.
- ^ Hodgson, B.H. (1831). "Contributions in Natural History". Gleanings in Science. 3 (October): 320–324.
- ^ Ogilby, W. (1836). "On the generic characters of Ruminants". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 8: 131–140.
- ^ Choudhury, A. (2003). "Status of serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) in Assam" (PDF). Tigerpaper. 30 (2): 1–2.
- ^ Aryal, A. (2009). "Habitat ecology of Himalayan serow (Capricornis sumatraensis ssp. thar) in Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal" (PDF). Tigerpaper. 34 (4): 12–20.