When was the duiker discovered

Different species of forest duikers are found in different parts of Africa. The appearance and size of forest duikers vary greatly since there are so many different species. The smallest is the blue duiker with an average weight of 11 pounds and a shoulder height of 13 to 16 inches.

While these are quite tiny, the yellow duiker, the largest of the species, is quite big. These duikers have an average weight of pounds and a shoulder height of 2. The rest of the forest duikers lie somewhere in between this very large range in size. Beyond size differences, these antelope all vary in general appearance too.

Both male and female duikers have horns that vary in length. Forest duikers are often darker than bush duikers and have different markings. As you would expect from their names, the red and blue duikers have fur that have a red or blue tint. Yellow-backed duikers are black in appearance with a large tuft of yellow fur on their rump. The zebra duiker get their name from the bold, black stripes on their back.

Like bush duikers, forest duikers feed on a variety of food. For some, their main source of food is leftover fruit that is dropped from monkeys , birds, and other animals that eat fruit from trees.

While all these antelopes are omnivores, some species, like the yellow-back duikers, eat a lot of insects, snakes, eggs, and carrion. Breeding habits vary from species to species. While a few have breeding habits more similar to the solitary bush duikers, many forest duikers travel in pairs. The only time that duikers from the same territory may meet peacefully with others is at a territorial boundary where they can enjoy water, fruit, or salt licks. Like bush duikers, forest duikers are very territorial.

The animals mark their territory by rubbing a substance that is secreted from glands beneath their eyes onto the nearby foliage. Some species even rub this substance on their calves or mates. The gestation period of forest duikers depends on its species. Those with shorter gestation will sometimes give birth to two calves a year. Males who travel with their mate and offspring do not raise their young but will rush to protect them if the calf signals it is in danger. Some calves will remain with their mother for up to eight months, while others will be fully independent at three months.

There are many threats to both bush and forest duikers that are causing their numbers to decrease. The duiker is preyed upon by a large variety of predators. Basically, any medium or large sized hunter is a threat to the antelope. Their main animal predators include eagles, leopards, jackals, and pythons. Both bush and forest duikers are also a common source of meat for humans and are hunted frequently. Ears are 9. Longer ears are found on duikers in open, arid habitats. Coloration varies from pale, light colored animals in dry regions, to dark gray colored in moist habitats.

Mountain dwelling duikers have longer, thicker coats than duikers living in savannas, forests, and grasslands. Kingdon, The male and female form a monogamous breeding pair. There is no evidence of a peak breeding period Estes Female duikers are known to give birth during all months of the year, and gestation is estimated to last months Kingdon Females find very secluded, thick cover to give birth. Normally only one young is born, but sometimes there are two.

They are defended by both the male and female. The young reach adult size in 6 months and attain sexual maturity in months Nowak Duikers are active during the early morning, evening, and night. During the warm periods of the day, they remain bedded down in resting locations.

Females rest near tree trunks or logs in places that are well hidden. Males rest in more elevated spots that allow greater visibility of the surrounding area. Both male and female duikers are territorial Kingdon Territories of animals of the same sex have a small amount of overlap.

A larger amount of overlap occurs between opposite sex animals, and a loose bond exists between the male and female in the same territory Nowak , Kingdon Territories are marked with scents from the preorbital gland and by vegetation that is horned by males. Females chase and butt intruding females. Males display threatening postures to intruding males, which include stalking and low-horn presentation. If these displays do not drive intruding males away, fights may occur.

During fights, males chase and stab each other with their horns. The loser runs off or lies down in submission Estes Duikers have been known to eat a wide variety of foods. They generally eat leaves and shoots from bushes, as well as fruits and flowers that drop to the ground due to the feeding of birds, monkeys, and fruit bats in trees. Duikers dig up roots, tubers, and bulbs with their hooves.

The resin and bark of trees are occasionally a part of the duiker's diet. They have been known to eat insects, such as caterpillars, cockroaches, and ants. The largest is the yellow-backed duiker, which ranges across the whole of the African tropical forest block. Populations of the yellow-backed duiker are also found on Mt. Elgon and the Mau in Kenya. This duiker reaches up to 88 centimeters 35 inches in height and 80 kilograms pounds in weight. It has distinctive, long whitish-yellow to orange hair that stands erect on the back.

Blue duiker Cephalophus monticla ; Yellow-backed duiker Cephalophus silvicultor ; Bush duiker Sylvicapra grimmia. Duikers are losing their habitats to the expansion of roads, settlements, and agriculture as a result of human population growth and are being pushed into close quarters with humans.

The animals are hunted for their meat, skins, and horns, which are popular in some areas as charms against evil spirits.

Bush duikers may be hunted in reprisal for raiding crops. African Wildlife Foundation brings together communities and private investors to construct conservation tourism lodges, like Koija Starbeds Lodge, in Kenya. The lodge provides sustainable income for the community and the acre conservancy is a safe home to a variety of wildlife.

AWF works with governments and villages to designate wildlife corridors — large swaths of land that duikers, and other wildlife, use to roam freely and safely from one park, or country, to another. Corridors link protected areas and allow this species to follow rains or travel to their calving grounds. Males fight, especially when their territory is invaded.

They inhabit fairly small territories marked with the secretions from the preorbital gland below each eye. Even though a pair will live together in the territory, they will spend most of the time apart. A calf can run within hours of birth but usually lies hidden for long periods of time between suckling.

It grows rapidly and is adult-sized at six to seven months. The young utter a loud bleat when in danger, quickly signaling adults in the area. Their large mouth permits them to feed on sizable fruits, mushrooms, and other bulky items.

They also eat berries and fruits that have fallen naturally, as well as those dropped by monkeys, but most of their diet consists of foliage from bushes and trees. On occasion, they may eat insects, lizards, birds, and rodents.

The little blue duiker and yellow-backed duiker species live in montane, riverine, and rain forests.