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Burmese Red Serow

Capricornis rubidus

French: Serow rouge / German: Roter Serau / Spanish: Sirao de Birmania

Other common names: Arakan Serow, Red Serow

Taxonomy. Capricornis rubidus Blyth, 1863,

Burma.

Previously classified as a subspecies of C. sumatraensis. There is a very enigmatic, strongly red-colored serow, perhaps a new species, in the Garo, Mishmi, and Naga Hills (Assam in India), which has been mistaken for C. rubidus but is actually much closer to C. thar. Monotypic.

Distribution. N Myanmar, from the Adung Valley about 28° N, S to the Arakan Hill Tracts and the limestone hills in the Salween Valley. Its distribution may overlap that of the Indochinese Serow (C. maritimus) in the SE parts of this region, and with that of the White-maned Serow (C. milneedwardsi) in the NE (N Shan States).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 140-155 cm, shoulder height 85-95 cm; other measurements probably similar to larger serow species. The Burmese Red Serow has reddishbrown short hairs with black hair bases and a mid-dorsal stripe. Its mane is dark red, legs reddish, belly white, and throat and interramal region white or creamy red.

Habitat. Hilly habitats in tropical and subtropical forest.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but probably browse is component of diet.

Breeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but probably similar to other serows, with a gestation of about 210 days, followed by birth of a single young, or rarely twins.

Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but other serows are most active at dawn and dusk, and spend the rest of the day in thick vegetation.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but related serows are territorial, typically moving along beaten paths that they create through their territories.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Population status and numbers are not available. Habitat destruction and fragmentation and illegal hunting for commercial trade are threats.

Bibliography. Duckworth & Than Zaw (2008), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1966), Fox & Johnsingh (1997), Francis (2008), Groves & Grubb (1985, 2011), Grubb (2005), MacKinnon (2008), Salter & Shackleton (1997).