The blue duiker Philantomba monticola
The blue duiker is a very small animal weighing less than 5 kilograms and standing 35 cm at the shoulders. Females of this antelope are larger than males; the males rarely weigh more than 4 kg. Coat colour on the back of the blue duiker varies from slate grey to dark brown, sometimes with a bluish sheen. This coloration provides a good camouflage on the background in the dark forest floor. Blue duikers constantly flick their short, fluffy, black-and-white tails. Both males and females have short (average length – 3 cm), sharp horns that are sometimes concealed in their head crests. Blue duikers are widely distributed in Africa to the south of the equator, from the Eastern Cape province of South Africa to Western Africa. The blue duiker inhabits a wide range of dense forests and bush and can also be found in open cut clearings. Water is essential habitat requirement of the blue duikers. The blue duikers usually live in pairs, which occupy home territory of 0.4 to 0.8 ha. Both males and females mark the boundaries of their home territories; they rub themselves against leaves, and tree trunks and branches, depositing smelly secretion of their glands. These animals are active in both day and night. Breeding season occurs year-round. After 240-day long gestation a single cub, weighing about 400 grams, is born. Blue duiker calves are weaned at 3 to 4 months of age, and when they become a little older than one year their parents drive them away from their home territory.
