Philantomba monticola

The blue duiker is 55-90 cm long, with horns 2-10 cm long, a tail 7-13 cm long, and a shoulder height of 32-41 cm; it weighs 3.5-9 kg. It is the smallest antelope and one of the most abundant and widespread of all antelope species. Like other antelopes, this small antelope has a distinctive stout body with large hindquarters, an arched back, and short, slender legs, and is shaped to move easily through dense brush. The name "duiker" comes from the Afrikaans word for "diver", and the species is named because of their habit of diving into the brush to hide when disturbed. This behavior of the blue duiker is usually accompanied by a loud, sneezing warning whistle given by the male. The color of their fur varies greatly, depending on the region and location of their existence, ranging from slate gray to dark brown, sometimes with a blue sheen on the back, which is why the blue duiker has its common name. The underside of the body is white, and the slightly wrinkled whit

Distributed in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Inhabits a variety of forest and wooded habitats, including lowland rainforest, riverine forest, coastal shrub farmland, dense scrub and montane forest. Up to 3000 meters above sea level. Also survives in primary and secondary forests, and can also survive in small patches of clipped or degraded forest and scrub, including near human settlements.

Blue Duiker (scientific name: Philantomba monticola) is also known as Blue Duiker in English. There are 12 subspecies.

Blue Duiker is most active at dawn and dusk. It mainly feeds on fruits, leaves, flowers, fungi, seeds, and sometimes insects and even small animals. Like other antelopes, they can follow monkeys and birds through the forest and pick up fallen fruit.

Blue duikers are monogamous and usually live alone or in pairs. They are very territorial. They mate and live in the same small area, which is different from other blue duikers, which regularly scent mark. They can breed all year round, with a gestation period of 196-216 days. The cubs are able to walk and run within half an hour after birth, but usually remain hidden in the bush for the first few weeks of their lives. They reach sexual maturity at about one year old, after which they are expelled from their parents' territory and live for ten years.

Listed in the "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" (IUCN) 2016 ver 3.1 - Least Concern (LC).

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