Maxwell Ducker
| Maxwell Ducker | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maxwell duiker ( Philantomba maxwellii ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Philantomba maxwellii | ||||||||||||
| ( CH Smith , 1827) |
The Maxwell duiker ( Philantomba maxwellii , Syn . : Cephalophus maxwellii ) is a small antelope that occurs in West Africa . The species formerly formed together with the blue duiker ( Philantomba monticola ) a subgenus within the genus Cephalophus . Newer taxonomies list Philantomba as an independent genus, in which a third species was described in 2010 with the Verheyen Ducker ( Philantomba walteri ).
features
The Maxwell duiker reaches a total length of 63 to 100 cm, including an approximately 13 cm long head and an 8 to 10 cm long tail. The shoulder height is 35 to 38 cm and the weight between 8 and 10 kg. The 3.5 to 6.0 cm long horns are found in all males and many females. The animals appear leaning forward with a slightly higher rear body. Females are slightly larger than males and have four teats.
The coat color varies greatly between the specimens and is usually gray-brown to blue-gray on the upper body. There are lighter stripes on the head by the horns. The underside is whitish and the dark, slightly bushy tail has light edges. The species differs from the blue duiker in the construction of the glands on the hooves and in the different distribution area.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area stretches over a wide border on the West African coast from the Cross River in Niger to Gambia and Senegal . Rainforests , secondary forests , humid bush savannahs and plantations serve as habitats .
Way of life
The Maxwell Ducker never moves further than 20 to 30 meters from bushes or groups of trees where it can hide. It mainly eats leaves, fruits, young shoots, bark and seeds as well as other parts of plants. Sometimes he follows noisy groups of monkeys , which usually drop fruit on the ground. If the supply of fresh leaves is good, the Maxwell duiker only drinks occasionally, whereas lactating females drink more frequently. The enemies of this antelope include the crowned eagle ( Stephanoaetus coronatus ), pythons (Pythonidae), smaller wild cats ( Felis ) and the leopard ( Panthera pardus ).
Females usually only have one litter per year, with a single cub being born after a gestation of around 120 days in one of the dry seasons (January to March or August / September). The young weighs 710 to 955 grams at birth and, unusual for duikers, has the same coat color as adult animals. Maxwell duikers in human care lived for up to 10 years.
status
The greatest threats to this antelope are habitat destruction and hunting for bushmeat . In limited areas, such as Comoé National Park , the population has decreased by 90 percent in the last 20 years. The entire population is assessed by the IUCN as Least Concern .
literature
- Katherine Ralls: Cephalophus maxwellii ( English , PDF; 579 kB) American Society of Mammalogists. June 13, 1973. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
Individual evidence
- ^ Wilson & Reeder (eds.): Mammal Species of the World . 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Philantomba ).
- ↑ a b Ralls, K. (1973) p. 1
- ↑ a b Philantomba maxwellii in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group, 2008. Accessed June 18, 2012th
- ↑ Ralls, K. (1973) p. 3
- ↑ Ralls, K. (1973) p. 2
