How many duiker species are there?

How many duiker species are there?

A duiker /ˈdaɪkər/ is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. The 22 extant species, including three sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species, form the subfamily Cephalophinae or the tribe Cephalophini.

What does a duiker look like?

What is a duiker? A striking peculiarity of the duikers in the genus Cephalophus is that they all have the same distinctive body type, although the different species vary in size. They have low-slung bodies on slender legs, wedge-shaped heads topped by a crest of long hair, and relatively large eyes.

Are duikers extinct?

The Abbott’s Duiker is a rare species and was listed as endangered in 2008 due to a number factors, including continuous hunting of the species for bush-meat, habitat loss due to human activities, being sparsely spread in its area of occupation and fragmentation, and predation mainly by leopards, pythons and eagles.

What does a black duiker eat?

Black duikers live mainly in lowland rainforest, where they eat fruit, flowers, and leaves which have fallen from the canopy. They are probably diurnal, though this is surmised only from captive specimens.

What is a female duiker called?

Appearance. The common duiker, also known as the grey duiker, is a small and shy antelope. This species’ females are larger than its males which stand 500mm at the shoulders and weighing 15 to 21 kg.

What do you feed a duiker?

Fruits and dicotyle leaves constituted the most important food component in all three duiker species. Grasses were also found in all species but only in small quantities. Tubers and rhizomes were consumed regularly and in greater quantities mainly by the black duiker.

Does a duiker ewe have horns?

The common, or grey, Duiker is a tiny, shy antelope with only the males having short horns. The common name refers to a characteristic habit of taking off at high speed in a series of diving jumps when alarmed. Adult males stand 500mm at the shoulders and females are about 20mm higher.

What is Jentink’s duiker?

Jentink’s duiker is one of the largest duiker species; Wilson (2001) argues that it Jentink’s duiker is larger and heaver than the yellow-backed duiker ( C. silvicultor). This species has the robust and relatively short-legged form typical of this group (Davies and Birkenhäger, 1990; Kingdon, 1997).

What do Jentink’s duikers use for shelter?

During the day, Jentink’s duikers use hollow trees, fallen trunks, and buttress bays of kapok ( Ceiba pentandra ), Bombax, and mututu trees ( Klainedoxa gabonensis) for shelter (Kingdon, 1997). If discovered in their hiding spot, a Jentink’s duiker will bolt from its refuge at great speed, but due to poor stamina can not go far (Kingdon, 1997).

Is the duiker an endangered species?

Jentink’s duiker is classified as endangered by the IUCN (2008), and is on CITES Appendix 1 (CITES, 2011). The major threats to the persistence of this species are habitat loss (primarily from extraction of timber) and harvesting for food (IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group, 2008).

What time of day is a duiker active?

Jentink’s duiker is primarily nocturnal, although captive individuals may be active during the daytime as well. Sheltered spots, such as hollow or fallen tree trunks and the buttresses of large trees, are typically used when resting or sleeping.