Common Duiker

• It is one of the few genuinely omnivorous antelopes in Africa.
• Its name comes from the Afrikaans duiker, 'diver', after the way it plunges into dense cover.
• It is the most adaptable and widely distributed antelope on the continent.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

A wide range of habitats with enough cover across much of sub-Saharan Africa, avoiding desert and dense rainforest

Birth weight

1.6 kg

Size at birth

Precocial, able to run within its first day despite staying hidden for the first few weeks

Sexual maturity

8-9 months

Gestation / incubation

165-190 days (~6-7 months, with a wider range of 4-7 months in other sources)

Litter / clutch size

1 young per birth (twins occasionally), with up to 1.4 births a year

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of 15.4 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Africa Mammals Guide; Wildlife Vagabond; Animal Diversity Web; Laboratory Notes; Animalia.bio; The Animal Facts; CT Safaris

Best time: All year round in savannah and scrub of sub-Saharan Africa, mostly at dusk; it is solitary and very wary.