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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the blue duiker. These tiny, forest-dwelling antelopes are endemic to Africa. They live in patchy forest habitats in central and western Africa as well as along the south-eastern coast in coastal thickets. These mammals prefer closed canopies with sparse vegetation in which to rest and hide. In fact, this animal gets its common name from its secretive nature.

The name "duiker" is Dutch in origin and is derived from the word meaning "diver", so while it might look like 'dweker' it's actually pronounced 'diker'. We remember this by remembering they're excellent divers. Not like diving underwater kind of diving, but diving into cover and completely disappearing into the forest understory. The "blue" part of their name comes from their color. They're gray to brown with a bluish tint and pale bellies helping them further blend in with the shadows of their forest home

Blue duikers are some of the smallest antelopes alive today. They stand less than a foot (30cm) tall at the shoulders and weigh about 11 pounds (5kg) on average. They're cat-sized antelopes! Both the males and females have horns, though these are typically longer and more defined in males. At the same time, female blue duikers tend to be slightly larger than their partners.

These mammals are monogamous and territorial. They'll use their horns to battle any intruders on their turf. These matches are typically harmless, but sometimes they can stab each other leading to injury. These antelope mark their territory with secretions from their preorbital glands, the glands right by their eyes, and have a designated place in the range where they relieve themselves. 

Blue duikers are reproductive year round. They begin breeding by their second year of life after they've been pushed off their parent's land. They'll wander until they find a mate and typically remain with the same partner for life, or at least until one of the pair dies. Their gestation lasts about seven months and the baby is born in a thicket where it remains hidden for its first two weeks of life. It takes three to four months before it stops nursing, and another few months before its sibling arrives and the parents encourage it to leave so they can focus on the newest offspring. 

Blue duikers are primarily diurnal, spending the hottest part of the day resting and the hours leading up to that and afterwards foraging. These mammals primarily eat fruit along with flowers and fresh leaves. They have so much moisture in their diets, they don't even need a reliable source of water in their habitat. Blue duikers do, however, like to live near pigeons, parrots, and monkeys. These animals gather meals from the tree tops, often dropping them to the ground below where the duikers can gobble them up. 

While moving about the forest, these antelopes have to watch out for predators like snakes, crocodiles, cats, wild dogs, and birds of prey. There are even observations of baboons and chimpanzees dining on duiker flesh. Humans also hunt them and drastically reduce their population in the mud 20th century, a decline from which they have not fully recovered. Oh they can survive to adulthood, blue duikers can live to be six years old or older.

For more facts on the blue duiker, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!