Rhim Gazelle

Gazella leptoceros

Rhim Gazelles are also known as Slender-horned Gazelle, because of the two thin horns that both males and females posses. In males, these horns can reach around 16in in length, while females top out around 1ft.

Rhim Gazelles are also the palest of the different Gazelle species. They have light colored backs, a thin band of darker brown, and pale undersides. Their coloration helps them to blend in with their Sahara Desert surroundings, where they live a nomadic lifestyle in search for food.

This species was once abundant through their African range, but now it is estimated that only a few thousand remain in the wild, with less than 200 in captivity worldwide. They are most abundant in the countries of the northern Sahara, but their population is on the decline due to habitat loss, warfare, and hunting.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Sahara Desert
Size : Shoulder height up to 2ft (64cm), Weight up to 66lbs (30kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Gazella-- Species : G. leptoceros
Image : TheOnlineZoo

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Common Duiker

Sylvicapra grimmia

The Common Duiker is a species of antelope native to Africa. They are sometimes also referred to as Grey Duikers because of their grey-brown coats.

Common Duikers are small, standing less than 2ft tall at the shoulder. They are found in most of southern Africa, preferring grassland habitats.

Socially, these antelope typically live alone, though sometimes they travel in pairs. Males are very territorial, and will attack any other male who comes within his land tract. Breeding

Common Duikers are nocturnal, doing most of their feeding between the dusk and dawn hours, and then resting in tall grasses during the day. They consume different seeds, grasses, leaves, and fruits. Amazingly, they will occasionally eat other animals as well! Insects, frogs, and even small birds and mammals have been eaten by Duikers!

The name "Common Duiker" really does suit them, as they are one of the most successful members of the Bovidae family in Africa. They have a huge range and a large population size.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa
Size : Height up to 20in (50cm), Weight up to 55lbs (25kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Sylvicapra -- Species : S. grimmia
Image : Ton Rulkins

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Four-horned Antelope

Tetracerus quadricornis

The Four-horned Antelope is named for the four permanent horns that are found on the males' skulls. That trait actually makes them unique among living mammals. yes, there are some breeds of sheep that have multiples horns, but those are not guaranteed. The male Four-horned Antelope always has that number!

These Antelope are also interesting because of their small size-- they stand less than 2ft tall, which makes them the smallest Bovids in Asia.

When it comes to behavior, the Four-horned Antelope is a solitary creature that feeds on fruits, leaves, and flowers. Males and females remain apart until the breeding season, where the sexes will perform courtship rituals like kneeling and strutting in order to select mates. The gestation period lasts about 8 months, after which one or two young are born. The offspring remain with their mother for about a year, and reach sexual maturity themselves at about 2 years of age.

The species is found in only two countries, India and Nepal, and they are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their unique horns make them popular hunting targets, and habitat loss has been dimishing their habitat. At present there are around 10,000 individuals left in the wild.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : South Asia
Size : Height up to 2ft (60cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Tetracerus -- Species : T. quadricornis
Images : Kalyan Varma

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Yellow-backed Duiker

Cephalophus silvicultor

Today we'll learn about the largest, and the most widespread of the Duiker species-- the Yellow-backed Duiker. Identifiable from the patch of yellow fur on their otherwise brown backs, these Antelope can weigh over 100lbs-- ten times that of their tiniest cousin.

You'll find the Yellow-backed Duikers in Central and Western Africa. They live in dense forests, forming monogamous breeding pairs and marking off small territories by using scent marks and vocalizations. Each year one or two uniformly brown calves are born, and their parents hide them in the vegetation for the first 1-2 weeks of life. After that they grow quickly, and are weaned by 6 weeks. It will take about seven months for their yellow back stripe to appear.

Yellow-backed Duikers have an interesting diet. They eat mostly fruit (about 75% of their diet), but they will also forage on leaves, nuts, bark, and even other animals! They have been observed eating birds and lizards in the wild, though other animals make up a very small percentage of their overall intake.

The IUCN has the Yellow-backed Duikers listed as "Least Concern," though their population is under strain for habitat loss and hunting. They require very dense forests in order to stay hidden, and those are frequently being thinned out to make room for agriculture.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : West and Central Africa
Size : Length up to 4.5ft (1.4m), Weight up to 130lbs (59kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Cephalophus -- Species : C. silvicultor 
Image : KCZoofan

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Dibatag

Ammodorcas clarkei

The Dibatag is sometimes called "Clarke's Gazelle," though that name is misleading as they are not true Gazelles at all. They actually belong to their own genus entirely.

You've probably never heard of this Antelope (I know I hadn't until researching this) because they hail from an unstable and arid part of the planet, and because there are no captive populations whatsoever. If you wished to seek them out you would have to travel to the dry grasslands of Somalia and Ethiopia where they tend to be solitary or live in very small groups-- their mating system is unknown.

Their name comes from the Somali for "erect tail," because they lift their relatively long (up to 1ft) black tails when fleeing danger. They also have white facial stripes and dark horns, giving them markings that are similar to a true Gazelles.

 The Dibatag is listed as Vulnerable because human settlement and conflict has reduced their population to only a few thousand living members. They are also hunted for their meat and hides.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Ethiopia, Somalia
Size : Body length up to 66in (1.7m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Ammodorcas -- Species : A. clarkei

Image : Joseph Smit

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