Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Royal Antelope

Neotragus pygmaeus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The royal antelope is the smallest antelope in the world: it weighs less than three kilos and stands barely twenty-five centimetres at the shoulder. It lives in the densest understorey of the West African rainforests, and is nocturnal and extremely unobtrusive. The males carry tiny horns, a couple of centimetres long, almost hidden in the hair. It feeds on tender shoots, leaves and fallen fruit, and its size lets it move along tunnels through the undergrowth that no large predator can follow.

Weight

1.5 kg – 3.5 kg

Size

40 cm – 50 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestHerbivore Nocturnal In pairs Rainforest Mammal

6countries 5parks86same family

Fun facts

GeneralThe smallest antelope on the planet: 25 cm tall and some 2.5 kg.
It is the smallest antelope on the planet: an adult fits in a person's arms and weighs about as much as a small cat.
Despite its size it can jump up to two and a half metres from a standing start, power it uses to vanish into the undergrowth in a single bound.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dense understorey of rainforest and secondary forest of West Africa
Sexual maturity: 16 months
Gestation / incubation: 6 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neotragus_pygmaeus