Overview
The blue duiker is not actually blue, but in some areas the coat takes on a faint bluish sheen when viewed in certain light. The blue duiker is the smallest of all duikers, a very small, grayish antelope with a sleek coat and tiny horns. The general color varies regionally from slate gray to dark brown, with the legs the same color as the body, or sometimes tinged with red or reddish fawn. The underparts vary from pure white to slightly lighter than the upperparts. The buttocks are whitish, contrasting with the body color. The bushy tail is dark on top and white underneath. The head tuft is very short or absent. There is a light-colored streak above the eyes. As in the Maxwell duiker, the openings of the facial glands are curved, not straight as in other duikers. There are pedal glands between the hoofs, but no inguinal (groin) glands. Both sexes have horns except in the subspecies musculoides (western Kenya) and aequatorialis (northern and northeastern Congo [K], extreme southern Sudan, Uganda, and northern and northwestern Tanzania) where females are hornless. The horns are very short, heavily ringed at the base, set at a slight angle above the plane of the face, and curved slightly forward and inward at the tips. Females are slightly larger than males and, in areas where they grow horns, their horns are smaller than those of the male. The blue duiker may be distinguished from the Maxwell duiker by these characteristics: (1) It is about half as large, weighing 8-10 pounds (3.5 to 4.5 kg) as compared to 17-20 pounds (8-9 kg) for the Maxwell; (2) the rump area is whitish, whereas in the Maxwell it is the same color as the body; and (3) the pedal gland has a simple opening, whereas in the Maxwell the gland is in a subcircular sac at the end of a narrow canal.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Sylvicapra
Habitat
Forests and thick bush, including thickets in relatively open country. Distribution- Widespread throughout Africa in suitable habitat south of the Sahara and east of the Niger River in Nigeria. West of the Niger River in Nigeria, and in West Africa, the blue duiker is replaced by the Maxwell duiker. Reports of the blue duiker occurring in West Africa are unverified.
Diet
These animals are actually omnivorous, but mainly consume plant material.
Behavior
They are nocturnal and solitary or form mating pairs. Observations in the Western Cape (Wilderness) indicate blue duikers to be strictly diurnal and not active after dark. They are very territorial animals, patrolling the borders of their territory and marking them with their dung and excretions from glands above their hooves and under their eyes (preorbital glands). They will chase off any intruders and only tolerate their offspring's presence until they reach 18 months of age. Blue duikers generally produce one offspring per year. Observations in the Western Cape indicate that, under favorable conditions, a female produced a lamb about every eight months for five years. Lambs remain hidden for 56 days (eight weeks) and then make their appearance, about 20% smaller than adult size. A popular activity is to sprint at high speed through dense undergrowth, possibly to practice escape routes.
Hunting
Hunting blue duiker can be a difficult endeavor, as this little guy is usually solitary, secretive, silent, and extremely difficult to spot. If caught or startled, they will be heard to make a loud cat-like meow. They confine most of their movements to the dense forest and thicketed worn paths between their lying-up, feeding, and drinking places. Being shy and timid, they bolt for cover at the slightest threat of danger. Hunting blue duiker is most likely best done using a shotgun. While any caliber rifle would certainly be adequate, the hunter can only expect to get a fleeting glance of this tiny antelope, which would make a rifle shot extremely difficult.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN. While this species does face threats, it has shown a high resilience and ability to adapt to human encroachment.