Nanling Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Guangdong Province, has a forest coverage rate of more than 98%, rich in wild animal and plant resources, and a very superior natural environment.
Nanling Nature Reserve is located in the middle section of the Nanling Mountains The southern foot is also one of the birthplaces of the Pearl River. It is one of the nature reserves with the richest biological resources in Guangdong Province and even the country. It is one of the 14 biodiversity hotspots in China. It has the "Pearl of Nanling" and "Treasure House of Species". "The good name.
The excellent natural environment provides a place for many wild animals to survive. Countless rare and exotic animals thrive here and are rarely disturbed by the outside world.
There are as many as 497 species of terrestrial vertebrates that have been identified in Nanling Nature Reserve, including more than 70 national key protected wild animals, such as: forest musk deer, black muntjac, macaque, spotted forest Raccoon dog and so on.
Recently, when the scientific research team of the reserve was checking infrared camera data in the wild, they were pleasantly surprised to find the Chinese serow, and recorded their real wild activities many times.
One of the scenes shows a Chinese serow walking leisurely in the woods, lowering its head to look for food from time to time, looking up from time to time, and finally disappearing from the camera.
Sheep head, donkey ears, cow hooves and antlers, nicknamed "Four Unlikely"
It may be the first time for many people to hear the name "Chinese serow". This is a bovine animal that grows relatively large and can weigh 85-140 kilograms as an adult. Nearly one meter tall and 140-170 cm long.
This animal has a very weird appearance, with a head like a sheep, ears like donkey ears, hooves like a cow, and a pair of horns like antlers, so it is also known as the "Four Unlikenesses".
The hair on the Chinese serow's body is mainly black and gray, with a long mane on its neck. As it gets older, its long black mane will turn into bright silver, which is very beautiful. Because their preorbital glands are obvious, their eyes look bright.
Chinese peopleThere has never been a shortage of weird stories and legends in the world. It is said that in some deep mountains and old forests, if you are lucky, you may encounter mountain donkeys. The mountain donkey is covered in black and has a very alert personality and does not come out easily.
In addition, there are also stories that deep in Shennongjia, there lives a kind of "coffin beast" that is as dark as a coffin. It looks strange and its whereabouts are secretive.
Based on the descriptions in the legend, combined with the image and distribution range of the Chinese serow, some scholars believe that the mountain donkey and coffin beast in Chinese folklore are very similar to the Chinese serow. The prototypes of these legendary creatures are There's a good chance this is it.
He is elusive on weekdays and likes to pick up mushrooms to eat
From the name, the Chinese serow seems to be a creature unique to our country, but in fact it has a wide distribution range, in Southeast Asia. It is also distributed in some countries.
Chinese serows are very mysterious. They are extremely alert and elusive. They are very wary of people and other animals, so they generally do not leave the forest easily. . In addition, it is difficult to find their traces even in the forest, mainly because they often find you before you find it, so they stay away from you.
Even when they are resting, they will deliberately find a raised area, which often has a better view. Once there is any disturbance, they will be able to detect it immediately and run away.
The Chinese serow mainly lives in mountain forests at an altitude of 1,000-4,000 meters. As a bovine ungulate, it eats grass, mainly eating various grasses, leaves, and buds. Food. It has a wide range of food habits and can feed on a wide variety of plants.
But if you want to ask them what is their favorite thing to eat? That's certainly some fungus in the forest.
For the Chinese serow, all kinds of grass and leaves are just enough to satisfy their needs, while mushrooms are their favorite snacks. On weekdays, they wander around in moist places in the mountains and forests to pick up some fungi.
It runs extremely fast and was known as the "Pegasus" in ancient times
"The lotus peaks in the sky are soaring, and the beards leap over dozens of peaks" are people in "Huangshan Chronicles" Description of "Pegasus". According to legend, in ancient times, there lived a group of Pegasus horses on Mount Huangshan. They could soar into the clouds, ride on the mist, and run extremely fast.
The ancients believed that Chinese serows were Pegasus horses. Just imagine a group of Chinese serows galloping past on the top of a mountain shrouded in clouds and mist. It feels like they are riding in the clouds and mist.
In addition, its strange appearance, like a donkey, a cow and a sheep, and the silver mane on its neck also add a lot of mystery to it.
Calling Chinese serows Pegasus is an act against them The most capable. Chinese serows, like some ungulates, like to move on rocky areas in the forest.
Although they look large and clumsy, in fact they Even on steep cliffs and rocky areas in the mountains, they can still walk on flat ground. Chinese serows usually move alone or in small groups, and it is rare for large numbers of individuals to gather together.
Occasionally they Relying on its strong climbing ability, it will run up some cliffs to lick the salt. This can be seen in many ungulates such as argali sheep and blue sheep.
In the early years The number of Chinese serows is still relatively large, but due to the high quality of their hides, they have been hunted in large numbers, resulting in a sharp decline in the population. In recent years, the number of Chinese serows has gradually increased. This can be seen from some news It can be seen that the Chinese serow has been sighted many times in different areas.
For example, in Shangzhai Village, Jinhua, Zhejiang, a Chinese serow fell into a pond and was rescued only after everyone worked together. able to land. I believe that the number of this magical animal will further increase in the future.