Friday, April 30, 2021

A to Z Challenge Z is for Zebra Duiker

   Z is for Zebra Duiker











Zebra duiker

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Zebra duiker
Cephalophus zebra.jpg
Scientific classificationedit
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Bovidae
Genus:Cephalophus
Species:
C. zebra
Binomial name
Cephalophus zebra
Gray, 1838

The zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra) is a small antelope found primarily in Liberia, as well as the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and occasionally Guinea.[1] They are sometimes referred to as the banded duiker or striped-back duiker. It is believed to be one of the earliest duiker species to have evolved.[2]

Taxonomy and etymology[edit]

 
 
 
 

Common duiker

 
 
 
 

Abbott's duiker

 
 

Yellow-backed duiker

 
 
 
 

Jentink's duiker

 
 

Bay duiker

 
 
 
 
 

Zebra duiker

 
 
 
Phylogenetic relationships of the bay duiker (Johnston et.al. 2012)

The scientific name of the zebra duiker is Cephalophus zebra. The bay duiker is classified under the genus Cephalophus and the family Bovidae. It was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1838 in Annals of Natural History.[3] No subspecies are identified.[4] The generic name probably comes from the combination of the New Latin word cephal, meaning head, and the Greek word lophos, meaning crest.[5] The specific name zebra pertains to the striking resemblance this duiker bears to the zebra due to the presence of dorsal stripes.[6] The word "duiker" comes from the Afrikaans word duik, or Dutch duiker - both mean "diver".[7] The zebra duiker is locally known as the marking deer in Liberia.[8]

A 2001 phylogenetic study divided Cephalophus into three distinct lineages: the giant duikers, east African red duikers and west African red duikers. However, the status of two species, the zebra duiker and the Aders' duiker, remained dubious.[9] In 2012, Anne R. Johnston (of the University of Orleans) and colleagues constructed a cladogram of the subfamily Cephalophinae (duiker) based on mitochondrial analysis. They showed that within the "giant duiker" group, the bay duiker formed a clade with Jentink's duiker, and the zebra duiker is sister to this clade. Similarly, Abbott's duiker and yellow-backed duiker form a clade sister to Sylvicapra. The bay duiker and Jentink's duiker probably evolved during the Pleistocene, less than 2.5 million years ago.[10]

Description[edit]

Zebra duikers have gold or red-brown coats with 12-16 distinctive zebra-like stripes, dark markings on their upper legs, and russet faces. Newborns appear darker because they are born with their stripes closer together. An adult can grow to 90 cm (35 in) in length, 45 cm in height, and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight. Their horns are short and round with sharp pointed tips. They are about 4.5 - 5.0 cm long in males, and half that in females. Female body size is larger than males, possibly due to long gestation periods.

Dental Formula:

0/3 I, 0/1 C, 3/2-3 P 3/3 M = 30-32 total[11]

Habitat[edit]

Zebra duikers live in lowland primary rainforests, particularly by clearings and along forest margins. They are most commonly found in forested areas of the midwestern parts of Africa.[12] They can less commonly be found in hill and low-mountain forests.

Diet[edit]

They are ruminants which feed primarily on fruit, foliage, and seeds. Though rare, there is evidence that they may eat rodents on occasion. Their reinforced nasal bones enable them crack open the hard exterior of certain fruits.[13]

Reproduction[edit]

The gestation period is anywhere from 221 to 229 days and the female is receptive to mating about 10 days after parturition.[14] The mother will only birth one calf at a time. A newborn can weigh from 1270 to 1550 g at birth. During the first ten days after birth, referred to as the lactation period, a newborn grows at a rate of about 94 g/day.[15] After that, the growth rate decreases considerably. Females reach sexual maturity at 9–12 months of age and males reach sexual maturity at 12–18 months. Cephalophus zebra is the only duiker species with the diploid number 2n=58.

Social behavior[edit]

Zebra duikers have displayed diurnal activity when living in captive situations, but mostly nocturnal in the wild. They are solitary animals that form pair bonds for breeding purposes. Both the male and female participate in the defense of young and home range. Adaptations include stripes and thickened nasal/frontal bones. The stripes may reduce injury to the more vulnerable abdominal area. The stripes may also make it more difficult for some predators to identify by breaking up the outline of their forms. The nasal bones allow for protection against blunt force during altercations.

Economic importance[edit]

They are hunted for bush meat. Their hides and other inedible parts can also be utilized by humans.[16]

Conservation[edit]

They are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN due to deforestation, loss of habitat, and overhunting within its range. Zebra duikers are common prey to Leopards, African Gold Cats, African Rock Pythons, and the Crowned Eagle. The zebra duiker has been described as the species least capable of adapting of all West African Duiker species and most likely to become extinct. The wild population is estimated at 28,000 individuals. This estimation is believed to be high and continues to decline. Having once been more widespread, it is now more common in protected areas, in particular the Gola National Park in Sierra Leone, Sapo National Park in Liberia, and Taï National Park in Ivory Coast.[17] In a study conducted to identify areas of greatest conservation need, one zebra duiker was identified in an unprotected area of the Ziama Classified Forest of Guinea. This area is under consideration for classification as a national park and currently serves as a home to many species categorized as rare and threatened.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). "Cephalophus zebra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  2. ^ Stuart, Chris & Tilde. (2006) Field Guided to the Larger Mammals of Africa, 3rd Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
  3. ^ Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 713. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ "Cephalophus zebra". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Cephalophus". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  6. ^ Prothero, D. R.; Schoch, R. M. (2002). Horns, Tusks, and Flippers : The Evolution of Hoofed Mammals. Baltimore, Maryland (USA): Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780801871351.
  7. ^ "Duiker". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 17 February2016.
  8. ^ Robinson, P.T. (2013). Dop, H. (ed.). Travel Sketches from Liberia : Johann Buttikofer's 19th Century Rainforest Explorations in West Africa (Annotated English ed.). Leiden: Brill. p. 733. ISBN 9789004233478.
  9. ^ van Vuuren, B.J.; Robinson, T.J. (2001). "Retrieval of four adaptive lineages in duiker antelope: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequences and fluorescence in situ hybridization". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 20 (3): 409–25. doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.0962. PMID 11527467.
  10. ^ Johnston, A.R; Anthony, N.M (2012). "A multi-locus species phylogeny of African forest duikers in the subfamily Cephalophinae: evidence for a recent radiation in the Pleistocene". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 12 (120): x–x. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-120. PMC 3523051. PMID 22823504.
  11. ^ http://reocities.com/rainforest/3881/stripedduiker.htm
  12. ^ Hoag, Hannah. "Bovids V: Duikers (Cephalophinae)." Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Ed. Michael Hutchins, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 16: Mammals V. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 73-85. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
  13. ^ Kingdon, Jonathan & Hoffmann, Michael eds. (2013) Mammals of Africa, Volume VI, Pigs Hippopotamuses, Chevrotain, Giraffes, Deer and Bovids. Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
  14. ^ Mijal, M. "Cephalophus zebra, Zebra duiker". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  15. ^ Pontier, D., et al., Postnatal growth rate and adult body weight in mammals: a new approach. (1989) Vol. 80:390-394. Springer-Verlag
  16. ^ The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals; Jonathan Kingdon; Academic Press; San Diego, California; 1997
  17. ^ Wilson, D.E. & Mittermeier R. A. eds. (2011) Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 2. Hoofed Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
  18. ^ David Brugiere, Identifying Priority Areas for the conservation of antelopes in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa, using the complementary approach. Fauna and Flora International, Oryx, 46(2), 253-259; 2012
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A to Z Challenge Y is for Yellow-backed Duiker

  Y is for Yellow-backed Duiker






Yellow-backed duiker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yellow-backed duiker
Cephalophus sylvicultor sylvicultor2.jpg
C. s. silvicultor at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Scientific classificationedit
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Bovidae
Genus:Cephalophus
Species:
C. silvicultor
Binomial name
Cephalophus silvicultor
(Afzelius, 1815)
Synonyms[2]
  • Antilope sylvicultrix (Afzelius, 1815)
  • C. punctulatus Gray, 1850
  • C. sclateri Jentink, 1901
  • C. sylvicultor Thomas, 1892

The yellow-backed duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor) is a forest dwelling antelope in the order Artiodactyla from the family Bovidae. Yellow-backed duikers are the most widely distributed of all duikers. They are found mainly in Central and Western Africa, ranging from Senegal to Western Uganda with possibly a few in Gambia. Their range also extends southward into Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, and most of Zambia.[2]

Taxonomy and etymology[edit]

The scientific name of the yellow-backed duiker is Cephalophus sylvicultor. It is the type species of Cephalophus, and placed in the subfamily Cephalophinae and family Bovidae. The species was first described by English botanist Adam Afzelius in the journal Nova Acta Regiæ Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis in 1815.[3] The generic name has possibly originated from the combination of the New Latin word cephal, meaning head, and the Greek word lophos, meaning crest.[4] The specific name silvicultor is composed by two Latin words: silva, meaning wood, and cultus, which relates to cultivation. This refers to its habitat.[2]

In 1981, Colin Groves and Peter Grubb identified three subgenera of Cephalophus : Cephalophula, Cephalpia and Cephalophus. They classified C. silvicultor under the third subgenus along with C. spadix (Abbott's duiker), C. dorsalis (bay duiker) and C. jentinki (Jentink's duiker). This subgenus is characterized by minimal sexual dimorphism and spotted coats (of juveniles). C. silvicultor forms a superspecies with C. spadix.[5]

Four subspecies are recognised:[6]

  • C. s. curticeps Grubb and Groves, 2002
  • C. s. longiceps Gray, 1865
  • C. s. ruficrista Bocage, 1869
  • C. s. silvicultor (Afzelius, 1815)

Description[edit]

Skull of a yellow-backed duiker

Yellow-backed duikers have a convex body shape, standing taller at the rump than the shoulders. They have very short horns, 8.5 to 21 cm (3.3 to 8.3 in) in length,[7] which are cylindrical and ribbed at the base.[2] An orange crest of hair can be found between their horns.[8] Yellow-backed duikers get their name from the characteristic patch of yellow hairs on their rump, which stand when the duiker is alarmed or feels threatened. Yellow-backed duiker females often grow to be slightly larger than males.[2] Coloration is very similar between sexes and very little sexual dimorphism exists.[8] The head-and-body length is 115 to 145 cm (45 to 57 in), with a short tail measuring 11 to 18 cm (4.3 to 7.1 in).[7] The yellow-backed duiker weighs in at about 60–80 kg, making it the largest of its genus. It has a large mouth, throat and jaw musculature.[9]

Ecology[edit]

Habitat and behavior[edit]

Yellow-backed duikers are mainly forest dwelling and live in semi-deciduous forests, rain forests, riparian forests, and montane forests. However, they can be found in open bush, isolated forest islands, and clearings on the savanna as well.[2] Their convex body shape is well-suited for forest living. It allows for quick movement through thick forest and bush and is reflective of ungulates accustomed to diving quickly into the underbrush for cover.[2] In fact, duiker is the Afrikaans word for "diver."[10]

Duikers are very flighty and easily stressed, and when frightened or pursued will run almost blindly from a threat. At the Los Angeles Zoo, duikers were found to run headlong into the glass of their enclosures if startled. In captivity, duikers have been known to form stress-induced jaw abscesses.[10]

Yellow-backed duikers are active at all times of the day and night.[9] They live mainly solitarily or in couples, rarely in even small herds.[2] Their elusive habits mean that very little is known about their ecology and demography compared to other ungulates.[11]

The yellow-backed duiker can breed throughout the year, with many breeding two times each year.[7] The female gives birth to one oro (two offspring after a gestation period of 4 to 7 months). The calf remains hidden during the first week of life and is weaned at 3 to 5 months after birth. Sexual maturity happens at 12 to 18 months in the male, and at 9 to 12 months in the female.[7]

The lifespan is 10 to 12 years in the wild, while 22.5 years in the captivity.[7]

Diet[edit]

These forest dwelling antelope feed selectively on plants or plant parts such as shoots, roots, leaves, and buds, but their diet is mainly made up of fruits.[2] The yellow-backed duiker is more efficient at digesting poor quality food than most other duiker species. This allows them to eat large, low quality fruits.[9] Their diet makes them very hard to keep in captivity as most domesticated fruits are not well suited to their low fiber requirements. They are considered concentrate selectors, meaning they eat "diets relatively low in fiber, have a well developed ability to forage selectively, a rumen bypass, a rapid passage and high fermentation rate for starch, and they frequently encounter toxins."[10]

Yellow-backed duikers are one of the few antelopes that can eat meat. Occasionally, these forest antelopes will kill and eat small animals, such as birds.

Phylogeny[edit]

Duikers are very primitive antelope which diverged early in bovid history.[8] The genus Cephalophus contains 16 African bovids of which the yellow-backed duiker is the largest.[8] Cephalophus refers to the long crest of hair found between their horns.[10] The yellow-backed duiker is most closely related to the Abbot's duiker and the Jentink's duiker. These three form the large or "giant" duikers group.[8] The yellow-backed duiker belongs to a group of morphologically, ecologically, and behaviorally convergent mammals which also includes some artiodactyls, rodents, and lagomorphs which exhibit "microcursorial adaptive syndrome."[2] This means they have tropical to subtropical distribution along with small body size, swift, cursorial locomotion, browse on high energy food, have precocial young, and a "facultatively monogamous social structure."[2]

Bushmeat hunting[edit]

Duikers are the most heavily hunted species across forested West and Central Africa.[11] It is not only a vital food source for people living close to its habitats [11] but a vital source of income as well.[9] The animal's flighty, easy-to-scare nature causes the yellow-backed duiker to freeze up in torchlight which makes them very easy to hunt at night. When the animal is stunned by torchlight, hunters can almost walk right up to it.[9] This puts the yellow-backed duiker and its relatives at major risk for overhunting. Some scientists even project that by the year 2020 they may be at serious risk.[11] IUCN currently puts the yellow-backed duiker's status at near threatened but if current trends continue, "the yellow-backed duiker's distribution will become increasingly fragmented and its status will eventually become threatened."[1] It is thought that the yellow-backed duiker may already be locally extinct in the Oban Sector of the Cross River National Park in the Oban Hills Region of Nigeria.[11] The loss of this species may have many impacts due to the yellow-backed duiker's numerous ecological responsibilities. They not only make up a main source of food for many indigenous peoples, but they also act as seed dispersing agents for various plants, and prey items for many carnivores.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Cephalophus silvicultor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T4150A50184147. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T4150A50184147.en.
  2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k Lumpkin, S.; Kranz, K.R. (1984). "Cephalophus sylvicultor" (PDF). Mammalian Species (225): 1–7. doi:10.2307/3503848. JSTOR 3503848. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  3. ^ Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 714. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ "Cephalophus". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 11 February2016.
  5. ^ Groves, C.; Grubb, P. (1981). "A systematic revision of duikers (Cephalophini, Artiodactyla)". African Small Mammal Newsletter, Spec. 4: 35.
  6. ^ "Cephalophus silvicultor". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e DeWitt, K. "Yellow-backed duiker". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Kranz, II. Lumpkin, Karl R., II. Lumpkin (1982). "Notes on the yellow-backed duiker" (PDF). Department of Zoological Research. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  9. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Newing, Helen (2001-01-01). "Bushmeat hunting and management: implications of duiker ecology and interspecific competition". Biodiversity & Conservation. 10 (1): 99–118. doi:10.1023/A:1016671524034. ISSN 0960-3115. S2CID 5530137.
  10. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Barnes, R.; Greene, K.; Holland, J.; Lamm, M. (2002). "Management and husbandry of duikers at the Los Angeles Zoo". Zoo Biology. 21 (2): 107–121. doi:10.1002/zoo.10020. PMC 7165532.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Jimoh, S; Ikyaagba, E; Alarape, A; Adeyemi, A; Waltert, M (2013). "Local depletion of two larger duikers in the Oban Hills Region, Nigeria". African Journal of Ecology. 51 (2): 228–234. 


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