 Common Duiker - AppearanceThe 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. Males have a mass of between 15 and 18 Kg, females between 16 and 21 Kg.
The colour of the upper parts varies from a greyish-buff in (S.g. caffra) to a reddish-yellow in (S.g. splendidula) Considerable colour variation within populations are observed in some areas. The under parts are usually white. Most have a black band restricted to the lower part of the face near the nostrils. |
DietThey browse a wide range of broad-leaved forbs, trees and bushes, they also eat fruit, pods and seeds, roots, bark, flowers, fungi, caterpillars and even nestling birds. In arid areas wild melons are eaten for their water content. They may be a problem in crops, orchards, vineyards and plantations. |
 BreedingThe female will give birth to one young usually after a gestation period of three months. Single lambs, very rarely twins, are born at any time of year, possibly with a peak in summer. Full grown at 7 months, females first mate as early as 8-9 months, and give birth at one year. Mating system probably varies with locality and habitat from monogamous pairs to males with more than one female. |
BehaviourThey are mainly active in late afternoon and into the night with other peak periods in the early morning hours. The males and females are territorial chasing away others only of the same sex Male and females tend to share territories but only come together for mating purposes They are probably the most successful bovid species in Africa. Their lifespan is 8-11 years. They are important prey for medium and large carnivores. They are solitary or a female with a lamb, they are rarely in male-female pairs. Scent-marks are produced by the preorbital glands and glands between the front hooves. |
HabitatThey do not occur in forests, although they will take refuge in forests when hiding from a predator. Widely distributed in Southern Africa, but absent from desert regions. The Common Duiker is usually seen at dawn and dusk in open scrub country. They avoid open grassland where there is no shelter. |
 Where they are foundThey are found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, except in the rain forests of Central Africa. |
PredatorsAvoids predators by lying quietly or freezing motionless and dashing away at the last moment if approached closely. Runs with a distinctive diving, zig-zag motion from which comes the name duiker, Afrikaans for diver. Uses its horns and sharp back hooves as defensive weapons.
The alarm call is a nasal snort, if caught bleats loudly, a sound that attracts other Duikers, and calls mothers to assist lambs. Lambs can run within a day of birth, but remain hidden in heavy cover, with the mother returning to suckle and clean them. They are taken by all the medium to large predators but their main predators are Eagles, Leopard, Jackal and Python. Some are taken by Crocodile. |
 Red Flanked Duiker - AppearanceThe Red Duiker is smaller than the Common Duiker. Standing, it is 420mm at the shoulders and has a mass of 12 Kg. The upper parts are a deep chestnut-red and the lower parts of the flanks and under parts are a pale chestnut colour. The nape and throat turn ash-grey as the animal ages. Both sexes carry short, straight horns. The horns have coarse basal rings and longitudinal striations, but are smooth towards the tips. |
DietRed Duiker forages on freshly fallen leaves, fruits and flowers from forest canopies. Foraging occurs mostly during the early mornings and late afternoons. |
 BreedingSingle lambs are born after a gestation period of 210 days. Calving intervals are about 235 days. They are non-seasonal breeders. The young weigh about one kilogram at birth. A single offspring is born and will stay with its mother for up to about six to eight months. Males take no part in rearing young but both sexes will respond to a distress call from the calf. |
BehaviourRed-flanked Duikers are territorial, and normally live in pairs, pairs with one dependent youngster, or alone. The only times they form groups larger than three are at water sources, salt licks, or fruit falls that occur at territorial boundaries. Males are particularly territorial, and are combative with one another if they come into contact. Red-flanked Duikers do a great deal of scent marking, using a substance secreted from the maxillary glands near their eyes. A Duiker will rub its face on grass, twigs, bark or other surfaces to mark its territorial boundaries, or even on its mate or calf to 'label' the other animal.
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HabitatThe Red-flanked Duiker is found in gallery forests, forest edges, woodland edges and clearings and is decidedly less confined to dense forests than most other Duikers. |
 Where they are foundThe Red Duiker’s distribution in South Africa is confined to the eastern coastal forests in KwaZulu-Natal as far south as Umzumbe, whereas isolated populations occur on the Mpumalanga escarpment. In South Africa it is classified as rare. Distribution of the Red Duiker appears extensive on the map, but considering its habitat restrictions it is actually occurring in a patchy and discontinuous pattern. |
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