The smallest antelope in the world. Antelope dik-dik: description, photo

Antelope dik-dik ( Madoqua saltiana) - the smallest representatives among artiodactyl mammals. These strange animals are exotic for many of us, they even seem implausible. But tiny animals exist; below we will talk about them.

History and scientific description

The first mentions of dik-dik were found in the 18th century in the books of the Scottish traveler James Bruce, who lived in Africa for more than 10 years. Here he simply describes an amazing, unprecedented beast.

Later, based on his data and their own genetic research, zoologists identified about 10 varieties of Madoqua, but only 4 of them were officially confirmed:

Mountain dikdik found in northern Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan;
Somali- the rarest, found only in Somalia;
Gunter, living in northern Kenya and Uganda;
Ordinary (Kirk's dik-dik) - includes nine once independent species, is perceived as a population. There is not yet enough data to accurately determine the characteristics of the fourth species, which is why it is so diverse.

Their external parameters inspire tenderness. Adults reach the following sizes:

Height - 40 cm;
Length up to 70 cm;
Weight up to 6 kg;

Babies are generally no bigger than a kitten. This is the only artiodactyl that can be picked up, and an adult man will place its baby in his palm.

For comparison, I would like to note that the average antelope, for example, the eland, which lives there in Africa, reaches 175 cm at the withers, and its body length is about 290 cm, weighing 900 kg.

Antelope dik-dik: lifestyle

This is an exclusively peaceful herbivore, coexisting with zebras or giraffes. But if the latter pluck leaves from the branches of trees and bushes, then the mini-antelopes are left with everything that the previous ones did not eat, that is, grass. Therefore, they prefer to settle in the densely grassy part of Africa. It also serves as a shelter for them from predators.

The mammal got its funny name thanks to the sounds it makes when it sees danger. It's something like "dick-dick."

These little ones have a lot natural enemies, but nature has rewarded them with a gray-brown color, thanks to which they are practically invisible on dry ground and among thorny bushes, as well as with long, fast legs - it is not so easy to catch up with a mammal.

The social and personal life of these artiodactyls has been little studied. According to genetic studies, these are monogamous animals; they do not have outside relationships throughout their lives. Scientists have not found a single baby born from a stranger. This is due to the fact that males guard their females extremely carefully, this is more important to them than wasting time courting others.

Features of reproduction

Dik-dik antelopes are terrible owners; a pair marks the territory in small groups and zealously defends it. When the female is ready for the mating season, strangers try to break into the family’s territory, but the males do not sleep and drive them away.

There are known cases of aggressive behavior of males towards their female friends. If she allows herself to go on a spree on someone else's territory, he drives her home in a rather rude manner.

Pregnancy lasts 6 months, several babies are born, but few survive. Girls and boys develop differently, females reach maturity at 6 months, males at 12. After this, parents kick them out of the house, mothers - girls, dads - boys.

Such rapid maturation is due to the high mortality of animals; having driven some out into the wild, the parents will begin to produce new offspring.

The threat of extinction of these antelopes

The number of artiodactyls has been rapidly declining recently, and it’s not about predators, but about people uncontrollably catching them.

Little ones are trusting and curious - they are drawn to people without any fear. The Africans, realizing this, actively take advantage of their affection and kill them by throwing stones at them.

This fact could be understood if the killing of mammals is necessary for human sustenance. But it turns out they are destroyed for the sake of the skin, which is ideal for making gloves, bags or souvenir keychains. In this case, a pair of gloves requires killing two animals.

In the 60s, hunting took on an industrial scale; hundreds of thousands of precious skins were exported from Somalia every year. Thus, the mountain species was included in the International Red Book and is today under protection.

Antelope dik-dik: where can you see it?

Some zoos around the world keep these African babies. At the Chester Zoo (a city in England), a female recently gave birth to offspring, this is the first case of mini-antelope breeding in captivity. But the mother abandoned the baby and the staff had to nurse him. The size of a newborn is only 25 cm.

There are not many of them in our country:

In 2016, the Moscow Zoo adopted two females. You can find them in the internal enclosures of the pavilion " Ungulates of Africa»;
The well-known private park “Sparrows” in the Kaluga region has experience in dik-dik breeding. They were brought here in 2008 in the amount of 6 pieces. They were animals different types: three are Kerk dik-diks, and three are the rarest Somali ones. But the whimsical Somalis did not take root in the “Sparrows” and were transferred to the Moscow Zoo for education. However, even there they could not come to terms with captivity and soon died.

In captivity, these babies often die, although in nature they live for about 10 years. Therefore, few nurseries agree to keep them.

Small Madoqua saltiana (dik-diks) are a miracle of nature that is difficult to see among the thorns and bushes of the African shrouds, while they are related to the wildebeest or bongo: large, strong animals. But if we already know enough about the life of the latter, then little is known about these crumbs, and yet they are one of a kind.

Therefore, it is necessary to try not only to preserve the population, but also to study it as much as possible in order to pass on this knowledge further. They will help you learn how to breed them in captivity, which is important to be able to do, given the vulnerability of the animal.

Video: fight of two antelopes dik-dik

In this video, two dik-dik antelopes sort things out on the road, rare footage:

Mariyka says: “The smallest antelopes in the world - dik-dik, or dik-dik (lat. madoqua swaynei), were found by me in the African savannah in Kenya, in national park East Tsavo [Tsavo], or Tsavo East. Small specimens can easily fit in the palm of an adult man.”

1. Dik-diks are a rare example of animal fidelity in wildlife, they live their entire lives only in permanent pairs.

2. They are not so easy to find and even more difficult to shoot - these nimble, timid, blending in environment Tiny antelopes with incredibly cute faces and a trunk nose are not at all as simple and harmless as they seem at first glance.

3. I managed to take a rare shot - to photograph the whole family with the baby on a walk.

4. These crumbs are almost invisible in the grass and low bushes and masterfully blend into the environment. The coat color is dominated by various shades of light gray-brown and brown - this coloring helps dwarf antelopes to be practically invisible against the background of the surrounding landscape.

7. This species, endemic to Africa, lives only in East and South-West Africa and is not found anywhere else, belongs to the subfamily of dwarf antelopes. Their main habitat is in four countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Angola.

8. The body length of a miniature antelope is from 45 to 80 cm, the height at the withers is only 30-35 cm, and the body weight of an adult is only from 2 to 6 kg! Despite its doll size and harmless appearance, these animals have a fairly fighting character and rather impudent behavior.

10. Dik-diks are exceptionally graceful animals, with thin limbs (and the back legs-like legs are longer than the front ones), with large black eyes and large movable ears.

11. Dik-dik have a funny face with a nose made of two elongated movable proboscis tubes. In males, the nose is longer and fleshier, while in females it is neater and shorter.

12. Females have a funny crest on their heads, and only males have neat small and sharp horns.

13. Females are noticeably larger than males, but males are undeniably dominant in family life.

14. Dik-diks choose a partner for life, they are very faithful and live only in permanent pairs. In the entire history of research on this antelope species, not a single cub was discovered that was conceived from a stranger. It is not surprising, because during the mating season, males accompany females almost constantly (that is, they move only in pairs), and outside the mating season - for 65% of the time. During the mating season, male intruders try to break through to the females, but such intrusions quickly end with an attack by the male, and the females hide during the fight. Fights between males never lead to deaths.

16. Sometimes, if you're lucky, the whole family can watch dik-dik - dad, mom and baby. Each pair has its own territory - a plot of about one hundred meters in diameter (in some cases it can reach half a kilometer), which it uses for several years. The male and female mark the boundaries of the territory with piles of dung and immediately drive away intruders. And if a pair of dik-diks happens to wander beyond the boundaries of their territory, the “come to his senses” male first of all drives his female “home”.

18. Female dwarf antelopes are capable of giving birth to one cub twice a year. Pregnancy lasts six months and usually occurs at the end of the rainy season. Males practically do not participate in protecting and raising cubs. The young dik-dik becomes an adult by about a year, after which it is expelled from the territory of its parents and then independently looks for a mate and a territory. Moreover, females drive away daughters, males drive away sons. The exile, as a rule, does not go far and tries to “stake out” his own plot on neutral ground between the parent and the plot of the neighboring couple.

19. These animals prefer to settle in arid areas overgrown with dense bushes - their main food. Dense thickets also provide them with shelter from predators. Among the thickets, they make tunnel paths for themselves, into which only they themselves can squeeze, and a larger animal simply cannot get there. Therefore, they are not afraid of hyenas, leopards, or other large predators.

20. Dwarf antelopes are quite selective in food. For the most part, these animals eat stems, leaves, flowers, pods and seeds of protein-rich shrubs and trees. Grass is not their main diet, although they may nibble on its young shoots. Animals get all the moisture they need from plants and dew. Therefore, they can survive in places where there are no drinking water bodies. They feed in the early morning and at dusk, and during the day they often rest or just walk. Dik-diks are exclusively herbivores. (c) masterok

24. Dik-diks are rarely seen in open areas. If only a male. Seeing approaching danger, mini-antelopes make strange, high-pitched sounds - something like a whistling “dik-dik” or “zik-zik”, after which they got their name. Dik-diks, like all antelopes, are by nature very curious and trusting, which, unfortunately, was previously successfully used by the local population, hunting them for the skin from which they made gloves. Currently, the population of pygmy dik-dik antelopes in Kenya is not threatened.

A cute animal with the funny name “dik-dik” (lat. Madoqua) is a miniature antelope that lives in the semi-deserts and savannas of South and Central Africa.

Area

Their main habitat is in four countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Angola.

Dik-diks - tiny African antelopes

Description of the antelope

The length of an adult dikdik is no more than half a meter, and its weight is several kilograms. Dik dik (Dik-dik) are very elegant and graceful, they have elongated muzzles, large eyes and ears, a long neck and thin legs. The color is dominated by various shades of brown. This coloring helps these dwarf antelopes blend into the background of the surrounding landscape.

Dik-diks - tiny African antelopes

Food

Female dik-diks are much larger than males. But the males have horns, although they are so small that they are practically invisible, but very sharp. These are paired animals, and permanent pairs are formed and each of them has its own territory. The size of such a section, as a rule, does not exceed one hundred meters in diameter, but in some cases it can reach half a kilometer.

These animals prefer to settle in arid areas covered with dense bushes - their main food. Dik-diks like to graze in the morning and evening, and usually rest during the day. Dense thickets also serve as shelter for them from predators who cannot get there. Seeing approaching danger (and dik-dik have many enemies!), these antelopes make strange sounds, something like “dik-dik”, which is what they owe their name to.

Offspring

Female dwarf antelopes are capable of giving birth to one cub twice a year. The young dik-dik becomes an adult by about a year, after which it is expelled from the territory of its parents and then independently looks for a mate and a territory.

Varieties of pygmy antelopes

There are several varieties of these dwarf antelopes: mountain dik-dik, red-bellied dik-dik, small dik-dik, Gunter's dik-dik and the most common of all - the common dik-dik, also known as Kirk's dik-dik.

Dik-diks are by nature very curious and trusting, which, unfortunately, has long been taken advantage of by the local population, hunting them for the leather from which they made fashionable gloves. Currently, fortunately, the scale of hunting for dik-dik has been significantly reduced and these wonderful animals are not in danger of extinction.

The dik-dik is a miniature antelope found exclusively on the African continent. It cannot be called the smallest in the world, but small specimens can easily fit in the palm of an adult man. Despite their doll size and harmless appearance, these animals have a fairly fighting character and sometimes a little arrogant behavior.

In total, there are 4 types of these animals. Their main habitat is rocky and limestone deserts and thorny bush savannas. Dik-diks are rarely seen in open areas. They live exclusively among dense thickets of bushes, where they make tunnel-paths for themselves into which only they can squeeze. A larger animal simply will not be able to climb there. Therefore, they are not afraid of hyenas, leopards or other large predators.

Dik-diks are one of the smallest antelopes, whose body length, depending on the species, is approximately 45-80 centimeters, and the height at the withers reaches 30-35 centimeters. Some of them weigh no more than 1.5-2 kilograms, while others weigh 5-6 kilograms. The toy image is complemented by thin matchstick legs, a pointed muzzle with a small movable proboscis nose and a funny crest with miniature but extremely sharp horns.

Its slender small body is light gray-brown in color. The crest, legs and muzzle are yellow-brown, and the abdomen is white. He has huge beautiful eyes that you can't help but fall in love with. Around them there is a white border, reminiscent of a “frame” of glasses.

Typically females are larger than males, but not by much. But the latter are the owners of sharp 10-centimeter horns.

These are territorial animals and each pair has its own area, which is fiercely guarded by the male. The plot sizes range from 0.3 to 20 hectares. Its borders are patrolled almost every day by a male and a female, and sometimes with their cubs. The male marks his territory using secretions produced by the preorbital glands, as well as urine and feces. Thus, it leaves its scent on all suitable objects (stones, bushes, grass). The male also marks the female and cubs with his scent.

Another way of marking territory is by making a high-pitched and loud whistling sound, similar to “zik-zik” or “dik-dik.” Hence the name was assigned to the animal. Battles for territory between males occur rarely and do not lead to deaths. One of them either runs away immediately, or slowly, after several collisions, retreats into the nearest bushes.

This whistle also serves as an alarm signal when predators appear. Literally in an instant, these animals disappear from visibility among the bushes.

They are very careful, and also quite nimble. Over short distances, dik-diks can reach speeds of up to 42 km/h. Enough to quickly get to the saving bushes.

Due to the heat, these animals are most active in the morning, evening and night. During the rainy season, when it becomes a little cooler, they also feed during the daytime.

Dik-dik will not eat anything. He is quite selective in food. For the most part, these animals eat stems, leaves, flowers, pods and seeds of protein-rich shrubs and trees. Grass is not their main diet, although they may nibble on its young shoots. Animals get all the moisture they need from plants and dew. Therefore, they can survive in places where there are no drinking water sources.

Dik-diks are monogamous. Throughout his life, a male most often has only one female. But there are also small “harems” consisting of 2-3 females. If one of the “spouses” dies, then the other remains in the same territory and starts a new couple.

The breeding season of dik-diks usually occurs after the end of the rains. Pregnancy lasts six months. Most often, a female gives birth to 1-2 offspring per year, 1 cub each. He stays next to his mother for the first 3-4 months of his life. They remain in their parents' area for up to 6-9 months, until they reach sexual maturity. Then the parents kick them out of their territory. Often the exile does not go far, and settles on an unoccupied plot between the “parental home” and their neighbors.

Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at Chester Zoo (UK), adopted a baby dik-dik antelope named Aluna. The baby's mother refused to fulfill her direct maternal responsibilities, so the zoo workers had to take them upon themselves.

Now Tim and Aluna are inseparable, because the animal cannot yet exist on its own. When she grows up, she will be placed with the rest of the dik-diks at the zoo.

Now Tim feeds the baby milk at least five times a day. The first feeding begins at seven o'clock in the morning in Tim's living room. Then he goes with the antelope to his work, where it is fed three more times. That's why Tim returns, taking the baby with him. At ten o'clock in the evening she receives her last portion of milk for the day.

Dik-diks belong to the subfamily of true antelopes; they do not exceed 40 cm in height and 70 cm in length. Aluna's height is only 20 cm. The average life expectancy of dik-dik is about ten years.

In the wild, abandoned dik-dik cubs cannot survive on their own.

Big eyes in white glasses

Typically females are larger than males, but not by much. But the latter are the owners of sharp 10-centimeter horns.

Small sharp horns

This whistle also serves as an alarm signal when predators appear. Literally in an instant, these animals disappear from visibility among the bushes.

They are very careful, and also quite nimble. Over short distances, dik-diks can reach speeds of up to 42 km/h. Enough to quickly get to the saving bushes.

In zoo

Due to the heat, these animals are most active in the morning, evening and night. During the rainy season, when it becomes a little cooler, they also feed during the daytime.