Duiker antelopes in Kenya

Duiker antelopes in Kenya : Duiker antelopes are the small antelopes that do inhabit in the forest or the bushy areas of Kenya, the duiker antelopes in Kenya do exist 22 species of them these are the most common antelopes, on a Kenya Wildlife Safari you get experienced to the special duiker antelopes and others includes the Red duiker, blue duiker, Aderk’s duiker, bush duiker, yellow-backed duiker and among many others in Kenya, the duikers are the most attractive species which gives you happiness while spotting and watching them on a safari in Kenya, mostly these are very common in Shimba Hills reserve especially during the afternoon and during night times and among in other national parks in Kenya and national reserves in Kenya.

Duikers are special animal species that mostly feed on the fruits, mushrooms, seeds, leaves, flowers so the duikers are the herbivores, as well the duikers do feed on the lizards, insects, small rodents, birds, and among others.

The duikers are predated by almost every carnivorous animal species including the humans. The duikers are special formatted with slender body, large ears, wedged-shaped heads topped by a crest of long hair, relatively large eyes, long hind legs, short front legs, the duikers have got the an arched and the underparts of the duikers are white and have a black bond near their nostrils. Duikers usually move in the through dense vegetation of the forests and bushlands especially when they are disturbed while plunging into the thick cover to hide, therefore this trait is the source of the name ‘duiker’ which is in Dutch that means ‘’diver’’.

The male duikers have got the small horns while the female duikers does not have any of the horns, and the male duikers are taller than the female duikers but the females are larger than the male duikers, males and females share the same regions and come together when they mate and they spend most of their time while grooming each other’s heads. The duikers like the male duiker often fight and very territorial and chasing away strangers of the same sex, especially when they invade their zones, the duikers do take the gestation period of six months, and after giving birth the young calf of a duiker do run within hours after its being born with the fellow duikers, but most of the times the young duiker spend most of its time while lying in the hidden within the foliage in the national parks and reserves in Kenya so during a Kenya Safari in the game drives the duikers are basically seen in the hidden parts and corners in the parks.

Being the herbivores the predators of the duikers are all the carnivores inclusive the human beings, that is in order to keep in the safe side the duikers do avoid its predators by lying motionless and quietly and then dashing away at the nick of time, as the duikers do duck and do dive into the bushes when they are in danger, the duiker is such an intelligent animal species especially when it’s in danger the duiker runs in a zigzag shape and it uses its horns and black hooves as a defense tool to escape and confuse its enemies and to warn others about the danger they issue a snort and if caught, they bleat, and attract others to help.

Among all the duikers, the yellow-backed duiker is the largest, and this ranges across the whole of the African tropical forest block, the populations of the yellow-backed duiker can be spotted around Mount Elgon and Mau in Kenya, on Kenya wildlife Safari this can be your right destination where the tourists get feed up by spotting the unique creatures duikers and knowing everything about them in Kenya.

Duikers do alternate with the environment and the habitat as this influences the overall body shape and coloration of the animal species that is the duiker living in the open habitat can be longer-legged, less hunchbacked and lighter in colour that is ether tawny or gray compared than those species that inhabit the dense, dark forests. The duiker can live from 10 to 12 years though the oldest recorded was 16 years old.