---
title: "Japanse bosgems"
description: "Capricornis crispus — Zoogdieren. The Japanese serow (氈鹿, kamoshika; lit."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/nl/animal/japanese-serow
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Japanse bosgems

> Capricornis crispus — Zoogdieren. The Japanese serow (氈鹿, kamoshika; lit.

- Scientific name: *Capricornis crispus*
- Category: `mammals` (Zoogdieren)
- Habitats: `forest` (Bos)
- iNaturalist observations: 550
- Wikidata: [Q754034](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q754034)
- iNaturalist taxon: [74140](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/74140)

## Names

- en: Japanese Serow
- de: Japanischer Serau
- es: Serau Japonés
- fr: Serow du Japon
- nl: Japanse bosgems
- pl: Serau kędzierzawy

## Countries with the most observations

JP (486)

## Summary

The Japanese serow (氈鹿, kamoshika; lit. "coarse pelt deer") (Capricornis crispus)  (羚羊) is a Japanese goat-antelope, an even-toed ungulate. It is found in dense woodland in Japan, primarily in northern and central Honshu. The serow is seen as a national symbol of Japan, and is subject to protection in conservation areas.
Adult Japanese serow stand about 81 centimetres (32 in) tall and weigh 30–45 kg (66–99 lb). They are black to whitish, and colouring lightens in summer. The fur is very bushy, especially the tail. Both sexes have short, backwards-curving horns, and are difficult to distinguish by sight. Japanese serow…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_serow

## Photo

![Japanse bosgems](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/japanese-serow/medium.jpg)

Photo: Jun MATSUI · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/254893577

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/japanese-serow?lang=nl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).