Alias:Cephalophus rufilatus
Outline:Ungulata
Family:Artiodactylus Bovidae Gazella
length:60-70cm
Weight:9-14kg
Life:About 15 years
IUCN:LC
Red-flanked Duiker (scientific name: Cephalophus rufilatus) is called Red-flanked Duiker in English, Céphalophe à Flancs Roux in French, Blaurückenducker and Rotflankenducker in German, and has no subspecies.
In the wild, red-rumped duikers occupy different habitats that rarely overlap. They live alone or in pairs within a specific home range. Occasionally, more of the same species are found around water sources. Red-rumped duikers mark their feeding areas with scent secretions from the preorbital glands. These habitats are small compared to other antelopes and are occupied for several months before abandoning and moving into new territory.
Red-rumped duikers have acute hearing and senses of smell that are superior to humans, which can make observing red-rumped duikers challenging. When they feel threatened, they emit piercing barks to communicate with their young. Red-rumped duikers are also sensitive to territorial scent markings of other species.
Red-rumped duikers are most active in the early morning and evening, and they spend most of their time foraging for food. Red-rumped duikers are relatively solitary animals, staying in the same habitat for several months before moving to a new territory. When feeding, they are constantly alert and can be easily provoked into escape behavior. They will lower their heads and dive into nearby vegetation when startled. Unlike other duikers, red-rumped duikers do not engage in social games or mutualism. Both of these behaviors are common in other species of the genus Duiker.
Red-rumped duikers are herbivores and have been described as "lawn mowers". They primarily feed within a meter of the ground and do not spend a large amount of time in any one area. Food consists mainly of leaves and fruits, but also includes flowers and branches. In a study of the stomach contents of red-rumped duikers, it was shown that they prefer to feed on fruits in patches of secondary forests in moist savannas.
The mating behavior of red-rumped duikers is not well described in the literature. However, mating behavior is relatively homogeneous among species of the genus Duiker. Courtship is characterized by males following, biting, and licking the female's genitals from a few days before estrus (lasting one day) until mating. During estrus, female duikers squat unusually low to urinate. Female urine evokes a reaction in which males wrinkle their upper lips in a distinctive grimace when urine detects pheromones. Female duikers display sexual receptivity by swelling and reddening of the vulva.
The mating system of red-rumped duikers is monogamous. Among male duikers in captivity, competition for mates takes the form of charging, aggressive chasing, head-butting, and biting. Competitive aggression between males has not been observed in the wild, probably because the home ranges of individuals are usually far apart. Gestation period 240-245 days, litter size 1, calf weight at birth averages about 1000 g. Weaning period 3 months. Female red-rumped duikers mark their young with secretions from the preorbital glands directly after birth and during grooming. Juveniles have been seen in the wild during the dry season or early rainy season. After the calf is born, the mother hides the calf in the vegetation for cover and then returns to feed it. At this stage, the calf will instinctively remain quiet even if other animals approach. The calf weighs about 9 kg when it is weaned and lives independently. Females reach sexual maturity at 18 months. Lifespan up to 15 years.
In 1999, the total number of the species of red-rumped duiker was estimated at 170,000, of which about half were in protected areas. Density estimates published in 2013 ranged from 0.1-4 per square kilometer. A 2001 reconciliation report said the number in Comoé, Ivory Coast, had fallen to 0.45-0.14 per square kilometer. In 2005, the density in Guinea was 2.6 per square kilometer, a decrease of 50%.
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 ver3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
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