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The Duiker gets its name from the Afrikaans word 'duiker' which means to dive, relating to its habit of ducking away into bushes when danger threatens.
Common Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) 2 1/2".
The Duiker gets its name from the Afrikaans word 'duiker' which means to dive, relating to its habit of ducking away into bushes when danger threatens. They can live independently of water and feed on leaves, fruit and seeds. They are one of the very few antelope to have been known to eat insects and carrion. They are mainly active in late afternoon and into the night
Only the males having short horns. Adult males stand 19" at the shoulders and females are about an inch taller. They weigh between 38 to 44 lbs. Considerable colour variation within populations are observed in some areas. They 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.
Their main predators are eagles, leopard, jackal and python.
Red Duiker (Cephalophus natalensis) Rowland Ward minimum: 2 1/2".
Smaller than the Common Duiker it stands 17" at the shoulders and has a mass of 25lb. The upper body is a deep chestnut-red. Both sexes carry short, straight horns. The horns have coarse basal rings and longitudinal striations, but are smooth towards the tips.
it forages on freshly fallen leaves, fruits and flowers from forest canopies, mostly during the early mornings and late afternoons. They are very territorial and normally live in pairs pairs with one dependent youngster.
The Red duiker is found in gallery forests, forest edges, woodland edges and clearings and is decidedly less confined to dense forests than most other Duikers.
Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola) Rowland Ward minimum: 1 3/4".
The Blue Duiker is the smallest antelope in Southern Africa. Measures less than 12" at the shoulders and females weigh 10 lbs and males under 9 lbs. The coat is blue-grey. Both sexes carry short sharp horns, which are often concealed by a tuft of hair.
The Blue Duiker feeds on fresh leaves, fruit and flowers fallen from the forest canopy.
The Blue Duiker is widely distributed from the Eastern Cape to parts of West Africa. However, as a consequence of its habitat preference the distribution range is as disjunct as is the indigenous evergreen forests they frequent. The species is classified as rare in the South African Red Data Book.
Blue Duikers are known to eat birds eggs and insects - making them omnivorous, although the predominant food is vegetation. They are preyed on by eagles, in particular the forest patrolling Crowned Eagle.