Long-term stability in the winter diet of the Japanese serow (Artiodactyla, Caprinae)

By

Hiruma, Mitsuko
Tochigi, Kahoko
Kishimoto, Ryosuke
Kuroe, Misako
Elisa Trentin, Bruna
Koike, Shinsuke

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1122

Pages

39--51

Subjects

browser , Capricornis crispus , Cervus nippon , Population Dynamics , sika deer , ungulate

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1122.76486

 

Abstract

The winter diets of northern ungulates are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and ungulate population densities. We hypothesized that the winter diets of smaller browser ungulates might not readily change in response to fluctuating environmental conditions. We analyzed long-term trends in the winter diet of the Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) by analyzing rumen contents of 532 individuals over a span of 16 years among five populations along with changes in the population densities of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan. The winter diet composition of the serow was stable over the long term despite the increase in deer population density. The little-flexible nature of the serow diet may explain the long-term stability in the winter diets.