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Physical Characteristics
The blue duiker has brown and slate colored fur with a slight bluish tint. This small antelope has an average lifespan of 10-12 years and is mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning it is active at dawn and dusk. Fully grown, the blue duiker will reach a shoulder height of 12-16 inches and get up to 2 ½ feet long. They weigh between 8 ½ and 12 pounds.
Habitat
Blue duikers can be found in a variety of forested and shrub habitats, including rainforests, throughout central and southern Africa.
Diet
The blue duiker is an omnivore. They feed on seeds, mosses, leaves, and fruit. In fact, most of the fruit eaten by the blue duiker is knocked down or dropped from trees by foraging monkeys. They do eat the occasional small animal and carrion, which makes them the only antelope species to do so.
Reproduction
When not in breeding season, blue duikers are normally solitary animals. Females within rainforest populations tend to have one offspring per year.
Did you know?
The word "Duiker" is Afrikaans for diver. The blue duiker was named as such because they have a habit of diving into the undergrowth when startled.
Status
Due to over-hunting, this mammal is becoming less common in the wild. As a result, the blue duiker is listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix II. They are not necessarily threatened with extinction at this time, but precautions are needed and taken to ensure their survival in the wild.
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