Tuba
The black duiker (Cephalophus niger ), also known as tuba in Dyula, is a forest-dwelling duiker found in the southern parts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria.
Black duikers stand around 500 mm (20 in) tall at the shoulder and weigh 15 to 20 kg (33 to 44 lb). They have, not surprisingly, black coats. The head is a rust colour with a large red crest between the ears. Black duikers have long, thin horns of 80 to 170 mm (3.1 to 6.7 in), but the horns of females reach only 30 mm (1.2 in).
Black duikers live mainly in lowland rainforest, where they eat fruit, flowers, and leaves which have fallen from the canopy. They are probably diurnal, though this is surmised only from captive specimens. Black duiker are reported to be solitary, territorial animals.
The mating season of the black duikers is year round, but more offspring are born from November to January. The gestation period lasts 126 days, and is thus comparably short, usually only one young is born. Its average weight is 1.94 kg; it is weaned around 90 days of age. The birth interval is seven and a half months. In captivity, the black duiker lives up to 14 years.
An estimated 100,000 black duikers are left in the world; they are threatened by hunting and are considered to be in decline across their range.
Black duikers are small forest-dwelling antelopes. They have soft glossy black coats. The head is a rust color with a large red crest between the ears. These animals have a short tail that is black on top and white on the underside. Black duikers have long, thin horns that are often hidden in a tuft of hair on top of the head.
Black duikers are found in West Africa ranging from the southern parts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria. They live mainly in lowland rainforest and occur on the edge of primary forest, gallery forests, bushes, and thickets.
Black duikers are territorial animals. They are usually found alone or in pairs. They are most active around dusk and dawn but in undisturbed areas, they may be more diurnal. Black duikers spend their time feeding, grooming and resting. They prefer to rest in dense thickets or between buttress roots of large trees. These animals are very fast and have a very sharp sense of smell.
Black duikers are herbivorous (folivorous, frugivorous) animals. They feed on fruits, flowers, and leaves which have fallen from the canopy. They may also eat insects, eggs and sometimes birds.
There is little information known about the mating system in Black duikers. The mating season takes place year round, but the peak of births usually occurs from November to January. The gestation period lasts around 126 days after which only one calf is born. The newborn weighs 1.94 kg and is weaned around 90 days of age.
The main threat to Black duikers is overhunting for bushmeat and are considered to be in decline across their range.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Black duikers is 100,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
