Red-flanked duiker
| Red-flanked duiker | |
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| Red-flanked duiker, Cephalophus rufilatus | |
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| Species: | C. rufilatus
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| Cephalophus rufilatus Gray, 1846
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The red-flanked duiker (Cephalophus rufilatus) is a tiny antelope found in western and central Africa.
Red-flanked duikers grow to almost 15 in (35 cm) in height and weigh up to 31 lb (12 kg). They have russet coats, with black legs and backs, and white underbellies. They feed on leaves, fallen fruits, seeds, flowers, and sometimes small birds or other small animals. They have lifespans of 10–15 years in captivity. The wild population is estimated at 170,000 individuals.
Description
The red-flanked duiker is one of the smallest species of antelope, growing to a height of about 34 to 37 centimetres (13 to 15 in) with a weight of around 12 to 14 kilograms (26 to 31 lb). The sexes are similar in appearance and both have short backward-pointing horns up to 9 centimetres (3.5 in) long. The head and body are blackish-grey near the spine gradually blending into a reddish-brown colour on the neck and flanks. There are small white markings on the ears and snout and a dark streak runs along the centre of the face. A tuft of black hairs grows between the horns and further coarse dark hairs grow along the top of the neck. The legs are bluish-grey.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The red-flanked duiker is native to West and Central Africa where its range extends from Senegal and the Gambia in the west to Sudan and the Nile Valley in the east. Its main habitat is open savannah woodlands[1] and the margins of forests but it also occurs in river basins with elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) or thick shrubby vegetation such as caperbushes (Capparis spp.) and tree acanthus (Acanthus arboreus). [3]
Behaviour
The red-flanked duiker feeds on leaves, flowers and fruit and also browses on twigs, usually within one metre (yard) of the ground. Favoured species include the wild date palm (Phoenix reclinata), the African peach (Nauclea latifolia), the Cape fig (Ficus capensis), the wild bauhinia (Piliostigma thonningii), the adanme (Mucuna flagellipes), the hog plum (Spondias mombin), the barwood (Pterocarpus erinaceus), the mitzeeri (Bridelia micrantha), the wild African black plum (Vitex doniana), the African custard-apple (Annona senegalensis), the leafflower (Phyllanthus muellerianus), the monkey cola (Cola millenii), the ackee (Blighia sapida) and the beechwood (Gmelina arborea).[3]
Status
The red-flanked duiker is an adaptable species, and logging and the conversion of its natural habitat to more open savannah and farmland has allowed it to increase its range. It is fairly common in the areas in which it is found though numbers are decreasing in general due to severe hunting pressure. However it occurs in a number of reserves and protected areas where it is less liable to be killed for meat and the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its Red List of Endangered Species lists it as being of "Least Concern".[1]
References
- ^ a b c Template:IUCN2008
- ^ "Red-flanked duiker". Woodland Park Zoo. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
- ^ a b Hanson, Benjamin (2006). "Cephalophus rufilatus: Red-flanked duiker". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 2013-09-23.