Günther's dik-dik
| Günther's dik-dik | |
|---|---|
| |
| Günther's dik-dik at Samburu National Reserve, Kenya | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
| Genus: | Madoqua |
| Species: | M. guentheri
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| Binomial name | |
| Madoqua guentheri | |
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| The range of Günther's dik-dik | |
Günther's dik-dik(Madoqua guentheri) is a smallantelopefound in arid zones ofEast Africa.
Description[edit]
Günther's dik-dik is one of the smallestungulatesin Africa, weighing 3–5 kilograms (6.6–11.0 lb) when fully grown. It has a yellowish-gray to reddish-brown coat, black hooves, small heads with long necks and large ears with white insides. Belly, chin, breast, throat and inner thighs are cream or white. The tail is short (~3–5 cm). Males are horned, with horn length (~9.8 cm) varying between individuals. Although the horn cores are only present in males, gender identification can be difficult from a distance. Females are larger and lack horns.[3]
Four subspecies have been proposed based on size and pelage features, but have not yet been analyzed genetically.[1]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The species is found in the lowlands ofEthiopia,most of the northern and eastern regions ofKenya,Somaliaexcluding specific regions of the coast, limited regions of southeasternSudan,and northeasternUganda.[1][3]They avoid coastal regions. Typical habitat includes low thicket-type vegetation in thornbush, savanna grassland and riverine woodland biomes, and extends to disturbed and overgrazed areas. Habitat overlaps with other small antelope species such asKirk's dik-dik.[3]
Ecology[edit]
Günther's dik-dik is a browser rather than a grazer, feeding mainly on the leaves, flowers, stems, fruits and seeds of non-grasses. The species feeds on plants close to the ground, due to its small stature. It is primarilydiurnal,with activity peaks from dawn until mid-morning and mid-afternoon until after dark.[4]The species ismonogamous;parents and calves do not form family groups for prolonged periods, and the calf is driven out at an early age to fend for itself.[3]Only a single calf is born at a time. The species does not breed seasonally and can have late gestation periods.[5]
While it has a limited vocal repertoire, the species has been shown to make use of the alarm calls of other species, for example responding with increased vigilance or flight behaviour to the alarm calls of thewhite-bellied go-away-bird.[6]
Conservation[edit]
The species is classified asLeast Concernby theIUCN,as it appears to be common throughout its range. Total population size is estimated as at least 500,000 individuals. It is hunted for meat, but not commercially.[1]Habituationto human presence may have a negative fitness effect on individuals, but this has not yet been verified.[7]
References[edit]
- ^abcdIUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016)."Madoqua guentheri".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T12669A50190613.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T12669A50190613.en.Retrieved19 November2021.
- ^Thomas, Oldfield (1894)."On the Dwarf Antelopes of the GenusMadoqua".Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.62:323–329.doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1894.tb00575.x.
- ^abcdKingswood, S.J.; Kumamoto, A.T. (1996)."Madoqua guentheri"(PDF).Mammalian Species(539): 1–10.doi:10.2307/3504145.JSTOR3504145.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-03-16.Retrieved2016-11-18.
- ^Ford, Adam; Goheen, J. A. (24 June 2015)."An experimental study on risk effects in a dwarf antelope, Madoqua guentheri".Journal of Mammalogy.gyv090 (5): 2–5.doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyv090.
- ^Robeck, Todd; Fitzgerald, Lisa J.; Hnida, John; Turczynski, Craig; Smith, Dee; Kraemer, Duane C. (1997). "Analysis of urinary progesterone metabolites with behavioral correlation in Guenther's dik-dik".Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.28(4): 2–9.JSTOR20095687.
- ^Lea, A. J.; Barrera, J. P.; Tom, L. M.; Blumstein, D. T. (2008). "Heterospecific eavesdropping in a nonsocial species".Behavioral Ecology.19(5): 1041–1046.CiteSeerX10.1.1.486.8170.doi:10.1093/beheco/arn064.
- ^Coleman, Andrea; Richardson, Dominique; Schechter, Robin; Blumstein, Daniel T. (2008)."Does habituation to humans influence predator discrimination in Guenther's dik-diks (Madoqua guentheri)?".Biology Letters.4(3): 1–3.doi:10.1098/rsbl.2008.0078.PMC2610055.PMID18381260.