Duiker
wildlife of Namibia
Introduction - The duiker gets its name from the way they zig-zag (or dive) when they disturbed. They can be easily confused with the steenbok, one of the biggest differences is that the duiker is nocturnal. Duikers are extremely territorial and a male will will stalk and charge an intruding male. This can ensue in a furious battle with serious stab wounds being inflicted on either animals.
Duiker can be found all over northern Namibia, particularly in the Caprivi Region.
Habitat - Although they prefer scrub savannah, they do have a high habitat tolerance.
Diet - The diet mainly consists of leaves, flowers, fruit roots and tubers, but sometimes they also eat mopane caterpillars.
Colouring - The duiker is a greyish-yellow colour with a black line. Their ears are long and narrow and males have closely set horns with ridges.The tail is dark on top and white underneath.
Breeding - After a gestation period of three months, the duiker female gives birth to a single lamb, once a year. After the lamb is born, the mother leaves it under heavy cover and returns two to three times a day to suckle. Full grown at 7 months, females first mate as early as 8-9 months, and give birth at one year.
Size - The duiker can reach a shoulder height of up to 50 cm and can weigh up to 16 kg.
