Abbott Ducker

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Abbott Ducker
Systematics
without rank: Forehead weapon bearer (Pecora)
Family : Horned Bearers (Bovidae)
Subfamily : Antilopinae
Tribe : Duiker (cephalophini)
Genre : Cephalophus
Type : Abbott Ducker
Scientific name
Cephalophus spadix
True , 1890

The Abbott duiker ( Cephalophus spadix ) is a small antelope species from the tribe of the duiker (Cephalophini) within the family of horned bearers (Bovidae). It is a forest inhabitant and occurs only in a few scattered areas in Tanzania . It's very rare.

The German-speaking as well as the English-speaking common name of the species is derived from William Louis Abbott , an American doctor, naturalist and ornithologist.

features

The Abbott duiker usually reaches a head-trunk length of 97 to 140 cm. The tail length is 8 to 13 cm. With a weight of 50 to 60 kg and a shoulder height of up to 74 cm, he is a large, stocky, long-built duiker with short, strong legs and an equally strong neck. He wears a hazel-brown to almost black smooth fur with a lighter grayish face. The belly and the lower flank are reddish-brown in color, and a narrow, very dark band runs along the center line of the back. As a prominent feature, it has a black to reddish brown tuft of hair between the 8 to 12 cm long, rearward-facing horns. The ears are rounded and slightly brown in color.

distribution

The Abbott duiker is found in the mountain rainforests of eastern and southern Tanzania , where it is most commonly found in Kilimanjaro National Park . There it lives at an altitude of 1300 to 2700 meters, occasionally up to 4000 meters. Above all in the higher elevations, the Abbott duiker prefers raised bogs and very humid areas. At lower altitudes of around 300 meters he also lives in farmlands or forests with partly deciduous trees and partly open landscapes. In addition, the duiker species also occurs in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park , where it is distributed with a maximum population density of around one individual per square kilometer. Smaller populations also exist in the Usambara Mountains and in the southern highlands of Tanzania around Mount Rungwe and the Livingstone Mountains , but it is unclear how stable these are.

Way of life

The Abbott duiker is largely nocturnal, but is also observed in twilight . Most of the time he lives solitary and often uses paths. The main diet consists of fruits, flowers, green sprouts and herbs. It has also been observed to eat leaves of spring herbs and mosses . It may, however, also partially feed on meat like other duiker species, such as amphibians . The offspring are born from September to October, but the animals may be ready to mate all year round. The biggest predators are the leopard , followed by the lion and spotted hyena , young animals can also be captured by the crowned eagle or pythons . In the event of danger, the Abbott duiker usually flees into nearby waters, but can also defend itself in the event of harassment.

Systematics

The Abbott duiker is closely related to the yellow-bridged duiker ( Cephalophus silvicultor ) and the eastern yellow-bridged duiker ( Cephalophus curticeps ). It may have originated from a relic population of either of these species through speciation . The duiker species is considered monotypical .

Danger

Although protected by law and by the national parks, the population is threatened by poaching, including trapping. The total population is from the IUCN estimated at around 1,500 individuals to returning trend that Duckerart applies, according to the environmental organization as endangered ( endangered ). Further potential threats are habitat loss through the spread of human settlements and the associated destruction of landscapes.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Grayson, Michael Watkins: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009; P. 1; ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 .

literature

  • Colin P. Groves , David M. Leslie Jr .: Family Bovidae (Hollow-horned Ruminants). In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , p. 764.
  • Jonathan Kingdon: The Kingdon Field Guide To African Mammals. Bloomsbury, London 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-7481-4 .
  • DC Moyer, T. Jones, F. Rovero: Cephalophus spadix. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. ( [1] ), last accessed on May 2, 2013.

Web links