Serows are the most generalised representatives of the bovid subfamily of goat antelopes called Caprinae, all of which probably evolved from a serow-like ancestor. There are three species of serow in the genus Nemorhaedus: the mainland or Asiatic serow (Nemorhaedus sumatraensis) ranges from the Himalayas of Nepal, north to Gansu and Anhui in China, and south to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Island species of serows are the Japanese serow (Nemorhaedus crispus) on Honshu, Shikoku Island and Kyushu (Japan), and the Taiwanese serow (Nemorhaedus swinhoei) in Taiwan. The Japanese serow lives on thickly wooded hillsides above 3,300 feet (1,000 m). Where serows and their close relatives, gorals, share habitat, serows stay mainly in dense brush above timber line. Gorals inhabit more precipitous and barren slopes.
