Blue duiker
| Blue duiker | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue duiker ( Philantomba monticola ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Philantomba monticola | ||||||||||||
| ( Thunberg , 1789) |
The blue duiker ( Philantomba monticola , syn .: Cephalophus monticola ), also called blue goat, is a species of antelope that is distributed throughout Africa south of the equator .
Appearance
With a body weight of up to 4.7 kilograms and a shoulder height of 35 centimeters, the blue duiker is the smallest antelope species in southern Africa. The females tend to be slightly heavier than the males, who rarely weigh more than four kilograms. The top is slate gray to dark brown, but has a gray-blue sheen. The belly side and the underside of the tail are whitish. Due to this color of fur, the blue duiker is well camouflaged in the subdued light of the woods. One characteristic is that the duiker is constantly wagging its short, bushy black and white tail. Both sexes have tiny (an average of 3 cm long), pointed horns that are sometimes hidden by a mop of hair.
Distribution area
The distribution area of the blue ducker stretches from the coastal regions of the Eastern Cape to West Africa. The blue back duiker has one of the largest distribution areas of all antelopes. Due to the habitat requirements, the distribution area is patchy. It occurs in the St. Lucia Complex , Ndumo , Kafue , South Luangwa , Upemba , Mt. Elgon and Garamba nature reserves . Due to the destruction and deforestation of the forests, the occurrences are shrinking.
This antelope needs dense forests and scrub, but often eats in clearings. Water is an essential prerequisite for their living space. Due to its small size and the hidden habitat, the blue duiker is rarely seen. Poo and the tiny footsteps (24 millimeters) are often the only signs of its presence.
Way of life
Blue duikers live mainly in pairs and permanently occupy a territory between 0.4 and 0.8 hectares. The territory boundary is marked by both sexes by rubbing the scent glands on leaves, twigs, tree trunks and other places. Blue duikers reproduce all year round and are active during the day and night. One young animal is born after a gestation period of 210 days. This weighs about 400 grams. The young animal is weaned at three to four months and driven out of the parental territory when it is a little over a year old.
swell
literature
- Gus Mills, Lex Hes: Mammals of Southern Africa. An illustrated encyclopedia. Könemann, Cologne 1997, ISBN 3-8290-3610-8 .
- Clive A. Spinage: The Natural History of Antelopes. Croom Helm, London 1986, ISBN 0-7099-4441-1 .
Individual evidence
Web links
- Philantomba monticola in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Antelope Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.