Harvey red duiker

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Harvey red duiker
Harvey's red duiker (Cephalophus harveyi)

Harvey's red duiker ( Cephalophus harveyi )

Systematics
without rank: Forehead weapon bearer (Pecora)
Family : Horned Bearers (Bovidae)
Subfamily : Antilopinae
Tribe : Duiker (cephalophini)
Genre : Cephalophus
Type : Harvey red duiker
Scientific name
Cephalophus harveyi
( Thomas , 1893)

The Harvey red duiker ( Cephalophus harveyi ) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus group of duikers within the horned bearer family . Outwardly characteristic are the reddish brown back coloration, a black face drawing that extends to the neck, and dark gray colored legs. The species occurs in eastern Africa from Ethiopia to Malawi , but its range there is highly fragmented. Various forest landscapes in the lower and middle mountain ranges up to an altitude of about 2400 m serve as habitat. The way of life of the Harvey red duiker is little researched. The animals live solitary and are active during the day to dusk. Their main diet consists of soft plant foods. It was first scientifically described in 1893. For a long time, the Harvey Rorducker was considered a subspecies of the Natal Red Duck , after several taxonomic studies it has been recognized as a species since the beginning of the 21st century. The stock is currently classified as not threatened.

features

Habitus

The Harvey red duiker is a medium-sized representative of the duiker, it is slightly larger than the closely related Natal red duiker ( Cephalophus natalensis ). Its head-torso length varies from 85 to 95 cm, there is also an 8 to 11 cm long tail, the shoulder height is 38.5 to 47 cm. The weight is 9 to 14 kg. A sexual dimorphism is hardly marked, but females are on average slightly larger than males. The fur on the back is characterized by an intense red to chestnut brown color, while the underside is lighter. In general, the animals are lighter in color than the Natal red duiker. The middle of the back can be a little darker, but there is no characteristic median stripe. Dark gray or brownish black tints predominate on the legs, but there is a strong variation in terms of the dark shade within the species or even individual populations . A dark stripe runs up the forehead center line from the nose upwards, it widens behind the eyes so that the forehead appears black. The striking head of hair on the parting is also black in the middle and reddish at the edges, making it appear darker than the Natal red duiker. The stripe continues on the neck, especially in individuals from the southern part of the distribution area from the Udzungwa Mountains in southern Tanzania , it reaches to the shoulders. However, the characteristic here also varies within individual groups. Animals from Mount Kenya, on the other hand, are more reddish-brown in color. The face is predominantly reddish in color, the lower lip and chin have a blackish tint, the rest of the lower jaw is white. The ears can have white edges and black tips. The pre-eye glands stand out in front of the eyes with distinctive swellings and a black stripe. With a length of 6 to 9 cm, the horns of the males are larger than those of the females, the longest known horn measured 12.7 cm. The bases have clear rings. In general, the horn bases are very broad, the total length of the horns exceeds the circumference at the base by about two and a half times. Typical for duikers, the horns point backwards.

Skull and dentition features

The skull length varies from 16.2 to 18.4 cm. Compared to the black forehead duiker ( Cephalophus nigrifrons ), the forehead is slightly more arched and the rostrum is shorter, conically shaped and wider. The dentition consists of 32 teeth, the dental formula is as follows: .

distribution

The distribution area of ​​the Harvey red duckers lies in the east of Africa and is very fragmented. It ranges from Ethiopia to Somalia , Kenya and Tanzania to Zambia and Malawi . The highly isolated population from Ethiopia was first discovered in 1986 in the Harenna forest in the Bale Mountains National Park . Various forests with dense under-vegetation, including coastal forests, gallery forests and mountain forests, serve as habitat for the species . In mountains such as the Udzungwa Mountains, the altitude ranges from the Miombo forests at 400 m, over the scrubland dominated by Commiphora plants at 1400 m to the mixed mountain forests with bamboo thickets at 2200 m. The Harvey red duiker sometimes occurs on Mount Luhomero at an altitude of 2,400 m. Other significant deposits can be found in the Uluguru Mountains, also in Tanzania or in the coastal forests of Arabuko Sokoke and Boni-Dodori in eastern Kenya. The population density varies depending on the habitat in the Udzungwa Mountains in Southern Tanzania is she According to research from 2.1 to 13.3 individuals per square kilometer. The highest stand density is achieved in undisturbed, partly deciduous forests with high groundwater levels at a height of 300 to 500 m. It decreases sharply in disturbed forests or when hunting is under pressure. Above all, the animals prefer landscapes with a large variety of thin-stemmed trees (around 5 cm and less) and little visibility.

Way of life

Territorial behavior

The Harvey red duiker is crepuscular and diurnal. In the Boni-Dodori forest area, activity times were recorded mainly in the morning between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. and in the evening between 4:00 and 9:00 a.m. In contrast, 71% of the animals observed in the Udzungwa Mountains were active between 07:00 and 18:00, 29% again in the hour before and after (06:00 to 07:00 and 18:00 to 19:00 Clock). Activity decreases in the hot midday hours. The animals usually live solitary, a singular pair was observed feeding together in the Nguru Forest in northeastern Tanzania, with a muffled roar serving for communication. According to observations in the Udzungwa Mountains, less than 10% of all sightings involve couples. In the event of a malfunction, the Harvey red duiker emits a high-pitched whistle. It is assumed that this is a warning call to conspecifics.

nutrition

The main food of the Harvey red ducker consists of soft parts of dicotyledonous plants . The stomach contents of three individuals from Mount Kenya and Aberdare contained 89 to 96% leaves of bush vegetation. The remainder was made up of blossoms, branches and fruits . Herbaceous plants and grasses hardly played a role. As principal food resources are mainly leaves and fruits of ebony trees of Podocarpus , and of the genera Olinia , Kiggelaria , Acokanthera , Warburgia , Parinari , Uapaca and Solanum , the latter partly in large Menngen. In addition, buds of the sugar bushes are also consumed. The basic nutrition of soft vegetable food ( browsing ) could also be confirmed by isotope studies . The preference for dicotyledonous plants leads to a high production of volatile fatty acids in the rumen . For the absorption of the fatty acids, the mucous membrane in the rumen is densely interspersed with papillae, and the rod-shaped rumen villi are very small, both of which increase the transit time in the gastrointestinal tract . In contrast, there is the overall very voluminous rumen, which is actually more typical of grass-eating antelopes.

You can often see the animals eating in open spaces in the immediate vicinity of the forest. To reach lichens in trees, individual individuals stand up on their hind legs. A clear association with the tree-dwelling black- and - white colobus monkeys and the partly ground-living Sanje mangaben is remarkable . The Harvey red duiker also follows the last-named monkeys and sometimes they also groom its fur. In addition to facilitating food acquisition, for example through the fruits left behind by the Sanje mangaben, this behavior could also be related to a more effective avoidance of encounters with predators.

Reproduction

The reproduction of the Harvey red duckers has hardly been studied, based on observations from Malawi it is not subject to a fixed season. Young animals have so far been spotted in February, March, August and December. The reproductive behavior is probably similar to that of the Natal red duck.

Predators and parasites

Well-known predators are the leopard and the crowned eagle . Internal parasites are with tapeworms of the genera Moniezia and Cysticerus well with nematodes of the genus Setaria occupied. In addition, protists such as Entodinium could be detected.

Systematics

Internal classification of the genus Cephalophus according to Johnston et al. 2012
 Cephalophus  

  "Giant duiker"  


 Sylvicapra


   


 Cephalophus silvicultor


   

 Cephalophus spadix



   

 Cephalophus jentinki


   

 Cephalophus dorsalis





   

 Cephalophus zebra



   
  "East African red duiker"  



 Cephalophus rufilatus


   

 Cephalophus nigrifrons



   

 Cephalophus harveyi


   

 Cephalophus natalensis




   

 Cephalophus leucogaster



  "West African red duiker"  

 Cephalophus niger


   

 Cephalophus rubidus


   

 Cephalophus weynsi


   

 Cephalophus callipygus


   

 Cephalophus ogilbyi








   

 Cephalophus adersi



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The Harvey-red duiker is a kind of the genus Cephalophus and the family of the Bovidae (Bovidae). Within the horn-bearers, Cephalophus is placed in the tribe of duikers (Cephalophini), to which the two genera Sylvicapra and Philantomba also belong. The duikers mostly comprise smaller to medium-sized, compactly built representatives of the horned bearers, which are endemic to Africa. With the exception of Sylvicapra , which is adapted to the open savannah landscapes , the other representatives are predominantly inhabitants of closed forest landscapes.

The genus Cephalophus forms the most species-rich group within the duiker. According to molecular genetic studies from 2001, three lines of development can be distinguished within the genus. One of them consists of the giant duiker around the jentink duiker ( Cephalophus jentinki ) and the black-back duiker ( Cephalophus dorsalis ). The other two are represented by the West African red duiker such as the St. Peter's duiker ( Cephalophus callipygus ) or the Ogilby duiker ( Cephalophus ogilbyi ) and the East African red duiker, such as the natal red duiker ( Cephalophus natalensis ) and the black -forehead duiker ( Cephalophus nigrifrons ). Later, more extensive genetic studies published in 2012 confirmed this result. Accordingly, the Harvey red duiker belongs to the East African red duiker and is most closely related to the natal red duiker, which was also assumed by morphological comparisons. The East African red duiker split up in the transition from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene around 2.4 to 1.2 million years ago, the separation of the Harvey from the Natal red duiker only occurred in the Middle Pleistocene around 480,000 years ago. The genetic studies also showed that Sylvicapra is deeply embedded in the genus Cephalophus and is the sister form of the giant duiker. Because of this, Cephalophus must be considered paraphyletic . To solve the problem it was proposed to separate the red duikers from Cephalophus and to combine them under the generic name Cephalophorus .

While the Harvey red duiker was still considered a subspecies of the Weyns duiker ( Cephalophus weynsi ) from central Africa in the first half of the 20th century , it was later often viewed as that of the Natal red duiker, which is more common in southern Africa. As early as 1982, Jonathan Kingdon pointed out that there are significant differences between the two forms. A genetic study from 2001 retained the subspecies status for the Harvey red duiker due to only a slight genetic difference to the natal red duiker. A short time later this was heavily criticized by Fenton PD Cotterill . On the other hand, a revision of the hornbeams from 2011, created by Colin Peter Groves and Peter Grubb , raised the Harvey red duiker again at species level, taking into account the different characteristics. The genetic study published in 2012 retained this status, but recognized that the Harvey red duiker is paraphyletic with respect to the natal red duiker , which was explained by a hybridization of the two forms. Ultimately, the IUCN also lists the Harvey red duiker as an independent species.

The Harvey red duiker was first scientifically described in 1893 by Oldfield Thomas under the name Cephalolophus harveyi . Thomas used a skull with skin that comes from Kilimanjaro , the mountain is considered a type area of ​​the species, the skull as a holotype . The animal had been killed several years earlier by an expedition group led by Frederick John Jackson on Kilimanjaro. In addition, Thomas mentions a male animal in his first description, which also comes from Kilimanjaro and is in the collection of William Louis Abbott . Abbott stayed on Kilimanjaro around the same time as Jackson, in 1892 the individual was addressed as a black-forehead duiker, which Thomas revoked. At the same time, he included an animal from the coastal region around Malindi in Kenya, whose facial hair was already lost at the time and which he had previously referred to the Natal red duiker. The species name harveyi refers to Robert Harvey, who shot the holotype specimen as a member of Jackson's expedition group. In addition to the nominate form , two other subspecies were sometimes ascribed to the Harvey red duiker . By Einar Lönnberg while the description of dates Cephalophus harveyi keniae which he introduced the 1912th She was referring to animals from the Nairobi area . As a characteristic feature, Lönnberg emphasized the tuft of hair on the parting, which, in contrast to the nominate shape, is not black, but rather mahogany. Another subspecies was in 1924 by Oscar De Beaux with Cephalophus harveyi bottegoi named. It comes from what is now Somalia (then Italian Somaliland ). Both forms are taken today as synonyms of the Harvey red duckers.

Threat and protection

Forestry and the conversion of forests into arable land minimize the suitable habitat and thus the population of the species. In addition, the Harvey red duiker is a sought-after prey that is often hunted with traps and domestic dogs . At the end of the 20th century, the total population was estimated at around 20,000 individuals, which, however, according to some scientists, represents the lower limit; more recent figures are not available. In the distribution area there are some national parks and other nature reserves, such as Mount Kenya National Park , Kilimanjaro National Park , Lake Manyara National Park and the Bale Mountains National Park . The IUCN lists the Harvey red duiker as " Least Concern " due to its large distribution area .

literature

  • Colin P. Groves and David M. Leslie Jr .: Family Bovidae (Hollow-horned Ruminants). In: Don E. Wilson and 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. 772
  • Jonathan Kingdon and Francesco Rovero: Cephalophus harveyi Harvey's Duiker. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume VI. Pigs, Hippopotamuses, Chevrotain, Giraffes, Deer and Bovids. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 261-264
  • Oldfield Thomas: On a new Cephalolophus from Mount Kilima-njaro. Annals and Magasin of Natural History 6 (11), 1893, pp. 48–49 ( [7] )

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Jose R. Castello: Bovids of the World. Princeton University Press, 2016, pp. 1–664 (pp. 258–259) ( [1] )
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Colin P. Groves and David M. Leslie Jr .: Family Bovidae (Hollow-horned Ruminants). In: Don E. Wilson and 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. 772
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Jonathan Kingdon and Francesco Rovero: Cephalophus harveyi Harvey's Duiker. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume VI. Pigs, Hippopotamuses, Chevrotain, Giraffes, Deer and Bovids. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, pp. 261-264
  4. ^ A b Colin Groves and Peter Grubb: Ungulate Taxonomy. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011, pp. 1-317 (pp. 108-280)
  5. ↑ a b Oldfield Thomas: On a new Cephalolophus from Mount Kilima-njaro. Annals and Magasin of Natural History 6 (11), 1893, pp. 48-49
  6. ^ A b Rajan Amin, Samuel A. Andanje, Bernard Ogwonka, Abdullahi H. Ali, Andrew E. Bowkett, Mohamed Omar and Tim Wacher: The northern coastal forests of Kenya are nationally and globally important for the conservation of Aders'duiker Cephalophus adersi and other antelope species. Biodiversity and Conservation 2014 doi: 10.1007 / s10531-014-0842-z
  7. ^ Francesco Rovero and Andrew S. Marshall: Camera trapping photographic rate as an index of density in forest ungulates. Journal of Applied Ecology 46, 2009, pp. 1011-1017
  8. ↑ Andrew E. Bowkett, Francesco Rovero and Andrew R. Marshall: The use of camera-trap data to model habitat use by antelope species in the Udzungwa Mountain forests, Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology 46, 2007, pp. 479-487
  9. ↑ a b c IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group: Cephalophus harveyi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. e.T4154A50184807 ( [2] ); last accessed on May 15, 2017
  10. ↑ Norbert J. Cordeiro, Nathalie Seddon, David R. Capper, Jonathan MM Ekstrom, Kim M. Howell, Isabel S. Isherwood, Charles AM Msuy, Jonas T. Mushi, Andrew W. Perkin, Robert G. Pople and William T. Stanley: Notes on the ecology and status of some forest mammals in four Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. Journal of East African Natural History 94 (1), 2005, pp. 175-189
  11. ↑ a b c P. P. Hoppe, MD Gwynne and W. van Hoven: Nutrients, protozoa and volatile fatty acids in the rumen of Harvey's red duiker Cephalophus harveyi. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 11 (3), 1981, pp. 110-111
  12. ↑ Thure E. Cerling, John M. Harris and Benjamin H. Passey: Diets of East African Bovidae based on stable isotope analysis. Journal of Mammalogy 84 (2), 2003, pp. 456-470
  13. ↑ a b c d Anne R Johnston and Nicola M Anthony: A multi-locus species phylogeny of African forest duikers in the subfamily Cephalophinae: evidence for a recent radiation in the Pleistocene. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 12, 2012, p. 120 ( [3] )
  14. ↑ a b Bettine Jansen van Vuuren and Terence J. Robinson: Retrieval of Four Adaptive Lineages in Duiker Antelope: Evidence from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences and Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20 (3), 2001, pp. 409-425
  15. ↑ Alexandre Hassanin, Frédéric Delsuc, Anne Ropiquet, Catrin Hammer, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Conrad Matthee, Manuel Ruiz-Garcia, François Catzeflis, Veronika Areskoug, Trung Thanh Nguyen and Arnaud Couloux: Pattern and timing of diversification of Cetartiodactalia, Lauriala (Mammia ), as revealed by a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genomes. Comptes Rendus Palevol 335, 2012, pp. 32-50
  16. ^ Colin Groves: Current taxonomy and diversity of crown ruminants above the species level. Zitteliana B 32, 2014, pp. 5-14
  17. ↑ a b J. St. Leger: A key to the species and subspecies of the subgenus Cephalophus. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1936, pp. 209-228
  18. ↑ Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD, 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 ( [4] )
  19. ^ Fenton PD Cotterill: Species concepts and the real diversity of antelopes. In: A. Plowman (Ed.): Ecology and Conservation of Mini-antelope: Proceedings of an International Symposium on Duiker and Dwarf Antelope in Africa. Fuerth. 2003, pp. 59-118
  20. ↑ Frederick W. True: An annotated catalog of the mammals collected by Dr. WL Abbott in the Kilima-njaro region, East Africa. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 15, 1892, pp. 445-480 ( [5] )
  21. ^ Einar Lönnberg: Some new mammals from British East Africa. Annals and Magazin of Natural History 8 (9), 1912, pp. 63–67 ( [6] )

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