| Yellow-backed Duiker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Bovidae |
| Genus | Cephalophus |
| Species | C. silvicultor |
| Conservation Status | |
 Least Concern | |
The yellow-backed duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor) is an antelope found in central and western Africa. It has the widest range of any duiker in the genus Cephalophus.
General Characteristics[]
Body Length: 115-145 cm / 3.8-4.8 ft. Shoulder Height: 65-80 cm / 2.1-2.8 ft. Tail Length: 11-20 cm / 4.4-8 in. Weight: 45-80 kg / 100-175 lb.
The short, glossy coat is dark brown to black. Vividly contrasting with this dark background is a distinctive white to orange wedge of erectile hair on the back. Young are born dark brown, with spots on their sides and a reddish tinge on the underparts. The centre of the back remains jet black until 5-9 months of age, at which point the yellow hairs start to grow. The muzzle is light grey in colour, and the lips are white. The eyes and ears are small. The yellow-backed duiker is heavyset with slender legs. Both sexes have faintly ridged, wedge-shaped horns which grow 8.5-21 cm / 3.4-8.4 inches long and curve down slightly at the tips.
Ontogeny and Reproduction[]
Gestation Period: 7 months Young per Birth: 1, rarely 2 Weaning: By 5 months Sexual Maturity: Females at 9-12 months, males at 12-18 months. Life span: 10-12 years.
After birth, the newborn lies hidden for over a week, after which it begins to venture out and nibble vegetation.
Ecology and Behavior[]
Generally nocturnal, these duikers lie up singly during the day in "forms" - regularly used beds found under fallen tree trunks, in root forms at the bases of trees, and in dense tangles. They have also been observed resting on top of termite mounds, suggesting a regular surveyance of the surroundings. Broken horns in females suggest that they actively defend their territories, which they are thought to share with a single male in a semi-detached pair-relationship. The yellow-backed duiker marks its territory with its maxillary glands. Adults communicate by means of shrill bleats and resonant grunts. When alarmed, the yellow-backed duiker erects its bright dorsal crest and whistles a shrill alert, then flees into the underbrush.
Family group: Solitary or in pairs. Diet: Foliage, fruit, seeds, fungi, grasses. Main Predators: Leopard, python, crocodile, civet.
Distribution[]
Forests with heavy undergrowth in western central Africa.
Conservation Status[]
The yellow-backed duiker is classified as a low risk, near threatened species by the IUCN (1996).
