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Red-Flanked Duiker (Cephalophus rufilatus)
Female, Born: January 11, 2004
Habitat: The Red-flanked duiker is found
in gallery forests, forest edges, woodland edges and clearings and is decidedly
less confined to dense forests than most other Duikers. Benin, Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea [?], Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda [Regionally extinct?] (IUCN, 2002).
Physical Characteristics: Adult weights
have been reported from 6-14 kg, but the majority of sources list the weight
towards the upper end of this range, giving an average of 11.4 kg. Head
and body length measurements average 70 cm. Shoulder height values encompass
the range of 30-40 cm and average just over 35 cm. The coat is generally
an orange-rufous, with no marked difference in coloration on the ventral
surface. A broad bluish-gray strip is located along the mid-dorsal line,
which gradually merges with the rufous pelage on the upper flanks. This
dorsal band is darker in the eastern subspecies (C. r. rubidior) than in
the western race (C. r. rufilatus). The lower legs are dark blue-gray in
color, giving C. rufilatus the impression of wearing stockings. The narrow
tail is 7-10 cm long and ends with a black tuft.
Diet: Duikers have a basic diet consisting
of leaves, fruit, bark, seeds and occasionally insects and rodents.
Behavior: Reports regarding the primary
time of activity vary from primarily diurnal, through crepuscular to nocturnal,
with some activity occurring in the early mornings and late afternoon.
The Red-flanked duiker is shy and wary, when disturbed rushing with a bouncing
gait to nearest cover, keeping the head low. The alarm call is a shrill
bark.
Reproduction: Gestation ranges from 7
to 8 months, with the mother bearing a single calve. It is unknown what
their longevity is in the wild, but in captivity have been found to live
10 to 15 years.
Fun Fact: There are as many as 17 different
types of duiker that range in size and appearance throughout the continent.
By Nick Newby,
Virginia Zoo Zookeeper
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