Kirk's Dik dik

Kirk's Dik dik (Madoqua kirkii) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: Madoqua Conservation Status: Lower risk

The Kirk's Dik-dik is a small antelope found in eastern and south-western Africa. It reaches a height of only 35-45 cm at the shoulder, and weights 3-5 kg. It has a reddish-brown head, an elongated snout and a soft, grizzled grey to brown coat. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft that sometimes partially conceals the short, ringed horns of the male.

It has hooves with rubbery bottoms, which are effective when travelling over rocky terrain. Females dik-diks are somewhat larger than males. The males have horns, which are small (about 3 in or 7.5 cm), slanted backwards. The head of the dik-dik often seems disproportionate to the animal's small body.

Dik-diks prefer habitats with plentiful supply of edible grasses and shrubs, but prefer foliage that is not so tall as to obstruct their sight lines. Dik-diks live in monogamous pairs in fixed territories of up to 12 acres (0.05 km²), and it is seldom you see a Dik-dik on its own. At birth fawns weigh about 1.5 lb (0.7 kg), and reach sexual maturity in six to eight months. Newborns are hidden for 2-3 weeks, and suckle for 3-4 months.

Named for the sound they make when alarmed, Dik-diks are herbivores, consuming foliage, shoots, fruit and berries. They prefer to be semi-nocturnal, feeding mostly at night, especially right before dawn and after dusk. Dik-diks consume sufficient amounts of water for hydration, making drinking unnecessary.

Dik-diks are hunted primarily by eagles, pythons, smaller cats such as the caracal, as well as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs and humans.

Source: Wikipedia's Dik dik page. Photo by PCB21, displayed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

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