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The common duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia''), also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small
antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mamm ...
and the only member of the
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Sylvicapra''. This species is found everywhere in Africa south of the
Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...
, excluding the Horn of Africa and the rainforests of the central and western parts of the continent. Generally, they are found in habitats with sufficient vegetation cover to allow them to hide—
savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground ...
and hilly areas, including the fringes of human settlements.


Description

Colouration of this species varies widely over its vast geographic range. There are 14
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...
described, ranging from chestnut in forested areas of
Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordinat ...
to grizzled gray in northern savannas and light brown shades in arid regions. It grows to about in height and generally weighs ; although females are generally larger and heavier than the males. Only the male has horns and these can grow to long.


Behavior

Breeding is year round and the female gives birth to one fawn after a
gestation period In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once ...
of 6 to 7.5 months. The common duiker has a wide diet; beyond browsing for leaves, flowers, fruits and tubers, they will also eat insects, frogs, small birds and mammals, and even
carrion Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...
. As long as they have vegetation to eat (from which they get some water), they can go without drinking for very long periods. In the rainy season, they will frequently not drink water at all, instead obtaining fluids from fruits. They will often scavenge for these fruits below trees in which monkeys are feeding. They are active both day and night, but become more nocturnal near human settlements, presumably due to the presence of feral dogs and humans. Males are
territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...
and smear gland secretions on rocks and branches to mark their territories; their preferred resting places are generally on elevated ground, where they can observe their territory. Females, by contrast, prefer deeper cover. The overall success of this species stems from its ability to inhabit a wide variety of habitats, as well as from its adaptable, generalist diet.


Gallery

Common duiker, Uganda.JPG, Juvenile male, Kidepo Valley N.P., Uganda Common Duiker1.jpg, young male in
Kruger Park Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends from north to south and from eas ...
Common Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) (6011670419).jpg, adult male in Kruger Park Common Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) female (11839101354).jpg, adult female in Kruger Park


Notes


References

* ''Animal''. Smithsonian Institution, 2005, pg. 250 *Alden, P. C., et al. ''Collins Guide to African Wildlife''. Harper Collins, 2004. *Clutton-Brock, J., ed. ''Dorling Kindersley Mammal Handbook''. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2002. *Briggs, P. ''East African Wildlife''. Bradt Travel Guides Limited, 2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:duiker, common common duiker Mammals of Sub-Saharan Africa common duiker common duiker