Günther's dik-dik (Madoqua guentheri) is a small elegant antelope that lives in arid zones of East Africa. The name dik-dik comes from a characteristic sound produced by females through their long, tubular snouts when they feel threatened.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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SocialNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withGünther's dik-dik has a yellowish-gray to reddish-brown coat, black hooves, small heads with long necks, and large ears with white insides. The belly, chin, breast, throat, and inner thighs are cream or white. Males have horns that vary in length between individuals. Although the horn cores are only present in males, gender identification can be difficult from a distance. Females of this species are larger and lack horns.
Günther's dik-diks are found in the lowlands of Ethiopia, most of the northern and eastern regions of Kenya, Somalia excluding specific regions of the coast, limited regions of southeastern Sudan, and northeastern Uganda. They prefer to live in low thicket-type vegetation in thornbush, savanna grassland, and riverine woodlands where they can find shade and hide from predators. They can also be found in disturbed and overgrazed areas.
Günther's dik-diks are the most active from dawn until mid-morning and mid-afternoon until after dark. They live in mated pairs and maintain their territory with scent and dung. Parents and calves do not form family groups for prolonged periods; the calf is driven out at an early age to fend for itself. Dik-diks may sometimes gather in groups during the dry season in areas with abundant food supply. Günther's dik-diks are usually silent but when feeling threatened both the male and female make a shrill, whistling sound. Although having a limited vocal repertoire, Günther's dik-diks can make use of the alarm calls of other species, for example responding with increased vigilance or flight behavior to the alarm calls of the White-bellied go-away-bird.
Günther's dik-diks are herbivores (folivores, granivores, frugivores) They brows mainly on the leaves, flowers, stems, fruits, and seeds of non-grasses. Günther's dik-diks rarely drink water as they receive all needed moisture from the leaves that they eat during the coolest parts of the day when they contain a lot of moisture.
Günther's dik-diks are monogamous, meaning they form pairs, and one male mates with only one female. Females usually give birth during the wet season but in East Africa, this can happen twice per year. The gestation period typically lasts 170-180 days and only a single calf is born at a time. The young can stand shortly after birth; it remains hidden in dense vegetation for the first 2-3 weeks and the mother returns to feed her calf until it is ready to forage with her. Günther's dik-diks become reproductively mature when they are 6-8 months old, and females usually give birth for the first time at the age of one year.
Günther's dik-diks are not threatened as of present but in some areas of their range, they are sometimes hunted for meat.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Günther's dik-dik is 511,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...