Duikers

Duikers - little diving antelope

Africa is endowed with an abundance of impressive and interesting antelope, ranging in size from the enormous Eland (up to 940 kilograms/2 072 pounds) to the minuscule Royal Antelope (just 1.5kg/3.3p). The various antelope - of which there are over 70 species - are divided into nine tribes, of which the Cephalophini is the largest, with 16 species.

Sixteen Species

The Cephalophini are the duikers, and all but one of the 16 species are denizens of deep forest. The nature of their dense habitat, combined with their small size and secretive ways, make them among the least known and poorly studied of all African mammals. Nevertheless, the duikers are undoubtedly among the most fascinating and ecologically important animals. Duikers all have a compact body and wedge-shaped head, with both males and females having short, backward pointing horns (except in a few species), often hidden by a tuft of coarse hair. The name 'duiker' comes from the Afrikaans translation of 'diver' which alludes to the habit most species have of bounding (seeming to dive) into cover.

Four Groups

The 16 duiker species fall into just two genera (Cephalophus and Sylvicapra) and can be divided neatly into four groups. First, we have the tiny duikers (of which the ubiquitous 4kg/8.8p Blue Duiker is a representative), second the medium-sized duikers (including the 12kg/26p Red Duiker complex), third, the large duikers (such as the 80kg/176p Yellow-backed Duiker) and, finally, the bush duikers which favour savanna thickets rather than forest, of which the Grey (or Common) Duiker (12 to 20kg/ 26 to 44p) is the sole member.

Fruit Eaters

To a greater or lesser extent, duikers feed on fallen fruit. In Africa's forests this is a rich and largely unexploited resource (porcupines and bush pigs are competitors), so duikers have been able to flourish and radiate into numerous species. Fallen leaves, as well as flowers, bark, gum and roots are also important in the diet of most duiker species. Their powerful molars and wide gape allow duikers to crush and swallow fruits which may be too large for monkeys, but the fruits of most plants in the African forests are berry-sized. Figs comprise a high percentage of the diet for most duikers. Interestingly, duikers often have a feeding association with monkeys and actively follow beneath canopy foraging troops which invariably cause berries or figs to fall to the ground. Duikers also exhibit omnivorous tendencies and regularly feed upon insects, small vertebrates and even birds. In a recently reported incident from Tanzania, an Abbot's Duiker was photographed with a large frog in its mouth (BBC Wildlife 22:10) and a Grey Duiker was reported to grab and run off with an adult domestic chicken (BBC Wildlife 22:11).

Scented Territories

Duikers are territorial and most species appear to live in monogamous pairs. Both sexes are equipped with large slit-shaped preorbital glands from which they exude a strongly scented paste. This paste is rubbed onto trunks and branches within the home range. Strangely, however, the duikers do not create dung middens within their territories (as some other small antelope do) but defecate randomly. Species which prefer more open habitats, such as the Grey and Blue, flick their short tails to reveal the white underside, as a means of communication. Breeding may occur at any time of the year, with a single fawn being born after a gestation period of between 4 and 5 months (for most species).

Many Predators

Many species snort and whistle, and hunters frequently imitate the bleating call to lure duikers towards their bows or clubs. Apart from man (and his dogs), Leopards and Crowned Eagles are among the most significant predators of duikers. In most West and Central African countries, duikers form a major component of the 'bush meat' industry.

CC Africa's Hotspots

The Grey Duiker is widespread throughout Africa (outside of the equatorial forest) and is commonly encountered during both day and night, at virtually all of CC Africa's safari lodges, including Ngala, Bongani, Matetsi and Grumeti. The Natal Red Duiker is common and confiding at Phinda, and is frequently seen in the Dry Sand Forest within which Phinda Forest and Vlei Lodges are situated. Shy and seldom seen, Peter's Red Duiker occurs in forest patches west of Kichwa Tembo in Kenya's Masai Mara, as well as in the cool highland forests surrounding Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. The similar Harvey's Red Duiker is present in forests around Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. The little Blue Duiker is common in Maputaland dune forest surrounding Sodwana Bay (east of Phinda) and may also be present in the vicinity of Kwandwe in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. The highly endangered Ader's Duiker is restricted to small patches of remnant forest on Kenya's coast and the island of Zanzibar, and ways are currently being explored to establish a satellite population of these little antelope on the tiny but secure Mnemba Island (north-east of Zanzibar's main Unguja Island).

For anyone wishing to see the largest assemblage of duikers in one place, Gabon's Lope National Park, with six species, as well as the Water Cevrotain (an odd sort of 'pig-antelope') and the Dwarf Antelope, is the place to go.

- Duncan Butchart -

Posted: Mammals by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006