One of the 6 duikers on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
Zebra Duiker
Cephalophus zebra
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The zebra duiker is one of the most striking antelopes in Africa: a reddish gold coat crossed by between twelve and fifteen vertical black bands recalling a zebra's. It lives only in the primary forests of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, and depends on mature woodland. It is diurnal and solitary, and feeds on fallen fruit and leaves. It has a notably thickened skull that it is thought to use for striking hard fruit open.
Weight
15 kg – 20 kg
Size
85 cm – 95 cm
Lifespan
13 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- Its vertical black bands on a golden ground are unique among African antelopes and work as disruptive camouflage in the dappled light of the understorey.
- The frontal bone of its skull is abnormally thick, and it is thought to use it as a hammer to break hard-shelled fruit against the ground or against tree trunks.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Primary lowland rainforest of the Upper Guinean forest region, in West Africa
- Sexual maturity
- 14 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 7.5 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalophus_zebra
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Zebra Duiker — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Maxwell's Duiker
Philantomba maxwellii
Royal Antelope
Neotragus pygmaeus
Near ThreatenedBongo
Tragelaphus eurycerus
VulnerableLeopard
Panthera pardus
VulnerableDiana Monkey
Cercopithecus diana
African Golden Cat
Caracal aurata
How to help
The zebra duiker is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 4 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about zebra duiker.
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