The body hair of the Formosan Serow is dark brown; the throat and neck are yellowish-brown. During the winter, the hair is denser with a darker color. Both males and females have cone-shaped horns at top of their heads.

Formosan Serow live in mountain forest and bare rocks. The species is often alone during activity and skilled at steep slope by grabbing the rock surface using its hooves featured with protrusions.

Formosan Serow are diurnal, eats leaves, shoots, grass and has a habit of horn grinding.

It is capable of sprinting at 20km per hour and swiftly jumping to a height of 2m. Among all the mammals in Taiwan, this animal has the best “sprinting skill”.