Blue Duiker

Philantomba monticola

The Blue Duiker is a small little antelope found in the rainforests of Central and Southern Africa. They are named for the slight blue tint to their coat, and are one of the smallest antelopes in the world!

Blue Duikers often live in with a mate and they patrol and guard their own little stretch of land. They are very territorial, and will frequently leave dung piles and scent marks to designate their area. They won't even tolerate their own offspring within the territory once they are older than 18 months! (Young Duikers are weaned at around 5 months, but will remain with their parents until reaching sexual maturity)

Blue Duikers are a very, very common species. In some parts of their range there may be as many as 78 per square kilometer! They have adapted well to human settlement, and are often hunted for meat, though their population remains stable.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South and Central Africa
Size : Height up to 14in (35cm), Weight up to 9lbs (4kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Philantomba -- Species : P. monticola