Bay duiker

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Bay duiker
Individual in Gabon

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Cephalophus
Species:
C. dorsalis
Binomial name
Cephalophus dorsalis
Subspecies
  • C. d. dorsalis (Gray, 1846)
  • C. d. castaneus (Thomas, 1892)

The bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), also known as the black-striped duiker and the black-backed duiker, is a forest-dwelling

described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1846. Two subspecies are identified. The bay duiker is reddish-brown and has a moderate size. Both sexes reach 44–49 cm (17–19 in) at the shoulder. The sexes do not vary considerably in their weights, either; the typical weight range for this duiker is 18–23 kg (40–51 lb). Both sexes have a pair of spiky horns
, measuring 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in). A notable feature of this duiker is the well-pronounced solid stripe of black extending from the back of the head to the tail.

The bay duiker is a nocturnal animal. It tends to remain solitary, but pairs can also be observed. The leopard is the main predator of this duiker. It mainly prefers fruits, but may also feed on animal matter such as bird eggs. Females may conceive by the age of 18 months. Breeding occurs throughout the year. Gestation lasts about 240 days, following which generally a single offspring is born. The lifespan of the bay duiker is typically 17 to 18 years.

The bay duiker prefers

near threatened
by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Taxonomy and etymology

Phylogenetic relationships of the bay duiker (Johnston et.al. 2012)

The bay duiker was first

Afrikaans word duik, or Dutch dūken (both mean "diver")[6] owing to the tendency of this antelope to seek cover in bushes.[7] The bay duiker is also known as the black-striped duiker and the black-backed duiker.[8]

A 2001

Sylvicapra. The bay duiker and Jentink's duiker probably evolved during the Pleistocene, less than 2.5 million years ago.[10]

Although the species may be

monotypic, a 2003 paper identified two subspecies of the bay duiker:[11][12]

  • C. d. dorsalis (Gray, 1846): western bay duiker, found in western Africa
  • C. d. castaneus {Thomas, 1892): eastern bay duiker, found in central Africa

Description

An illustration of the bay duiker from The Book of Antelopes (1894) by Philip Sclater

The bay duiker is a moderately sized antelope; the typical head-and-body length is 76–103 centimetres (30–41 in).[8] Both sexes reach 44–49 centimetres (17–19 in) at the shoulder. The sexes do not vary considerably in their weights either; the typical weight range for this duiker is 18–23 kilograms (40–51 lb).[13] Hence, sexual dimorphism in this species is not as remarkable as in other bovids, though females are often larger than males.[8] The tail, black on the outside but white in the inner parts, is 9–11 centimetres (3.5–4.3 in) long.[13] The tail of the eastern bay duiker terminates in a white tuft.[8] Both sexes possess a pair of spiky horns, measuring 5–8 centimetres (2.0–3.1 in). Rowland Ward, however, recorded a maximum horn length of 12.3 centimetres (4.8 in) from Yokadouma (Cameroon).[13] The horns of females are generally narrower.[8]

Both sexes have a bright reddish-brown

ventral parts and the flanks are all reddish-brown, and the legs dark brown. A notable feature of this duiker is the well-pronounced solid stripe of black extending from the back of the head to the tail. This stripe is narrower in females.[8] Due to its nocturnal nature, the bay duiker has large conspicuous eyes. Whiskers can be observed above the eyes and around the nostrils. The patches of white fur around the whiskers are in sharp contrast to the dark reddish face.[13] Juveniles have a dark coat, that develops the stripes and chestnut to reddish-brown color gradually. The face is marked by a dark region from the nose to the forehead, separated from the rest of the face by two light brown furrows extending above or circling its eyes. Above the eyes and on the lips and chin white spots can be seen. The head has a diminutive crest (a tuft of hair), and is dark brown.[8] The eastern bay duiker is larger and heavier than the western bay duiker, with larger ears and darker coloration. The dorsal stripe is wider and lighter in color in the eastern bay duiker.[8]

The bay duiker is similar to several other duikers. The

red duiker can not be readily distinguished from the bay duiker. Though Ogilby's duiker resembles the bay duiker in size and pelage color, the ventral side is paler and the dorsal stripe starts from the shoulders instead of the back of the head.[8] Additionally, the body posture and horn characteristics of the two species differ to a large extent.[14] The bay duiker, as well as the Ogilby's duiker, are remarkably similar to the black duiker, except for the pelage coloration.[15] The dorsal stripe of Peters's duiker also begins at the shoulders but widens to cover the whole of the rump, as does the fainter stripe on the white-bellied duiker. The bay duiker can be easily told apart from the black-fronted duiker and Weyns's duiker, that lack stripes.[8]

Ecology and behavior

The African oil palm, one of the trees whose fruits the bay duiker feeds on

The bay duiker is a nocturnal animal, and consequently little is known of its behavioral patterns. During the day, the bay duiker rests against trees or in thickets. It tends to remain solitary, but pairs can also be observed. The bay duiker exhibits remarkable alertness. It depends heavily on its sense of smell for foraging and detecting potential danger. Individuals communicate through preorbital gland secretions and excrement. The leopard is the main predator of this duiker.[8][13] Eagles,[7] bonobos and mandrills[16] may also prey on the bay duiker. An alarmed individual becomes motionless, and might leap to flee.[8]

Diet

The bay duiker mainly prefers fruits. It feeds on the large fruits of

supplement for captive individuals.[18]

Reproduction

Females may conceive by the age of eighteen months. Breeding occurs throughout the year, and no clear peaks are known.

Oestrus lasts for just eighteen hours.[13] The rutting male pursues a female in oestrus continuously. The male might be humming and may move its foreleg outward. If receptive, the female will allow the male to mount by shifting her tail to a side.[13]

Gestation lasts for about 240 days, following which generally a single offspring is born. The infant weighs nearly 1,600–1,690 grams (56–60 oz), and its coat is dark reddish-brown. The brighter reddish-brown to chestnut color develops by five to six months. For the first few weeks after its birth, the infant is kept concealed in dense vegetation when the mother is away. The offspring can start taking solid food within a few weeks. Weaning occurs at around three-and-a-half months. The lifespan of the bay duiker averages 17 to 18 years.[8][13]

Habitat and distribution

The bay duiker prefers

extinct in Uganda.[1]

Threats and conservation

1869 illustration by Joseph Smit

The bay duiker has been historically

overhunted across its range for bushmeat. A 2007 study of the extinction of the bay duiker in the Ipassa Makokou Biosphere Reserve (Gabon) held overhunting responsible for the elimination of the species from the reserve.[20] The survival of the bay duiker is also threatened by human settlement and agricultural expansion due to this duiker's preference for old-growth forests, and habitat degradation.[1][14]

The habitat of the bay duiker has depleted to a large extent due to deforestation.

Congo-Kinshasa).[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T4139A166523704.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^
    OCLC 62265494
    .
  4. ^ "Cephalophus". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  5. ^ "dorsalis". Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Duiker". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "Duiker". African Wildlife Foundation. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  8. ^
    ISBN 9780691167176
    .
  9. PMID 11527467
    .
  10. PMID 22823504
    .
  11. ^ "Cephalophus dorsalis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  12. ^ Cotterill, F.P.D. (2003). "Ecology and conservation of small antelope: proceedings of an international symposium on duiker and dwarf antelope in Africa": 59–118. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^
    ISBN 9781408122570
    .
  14. ^
    ISBN 2-8317-0016-7
    .
  15. ISBN 9789004236301
    .
  16. S2CID 20928597
    .
  17. S2CID 85044303
    .
  18. ISBN 9780761472667
    .
  19. S2CID 84815512
    .
  20. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2007.00783.x
    .

External links
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