The smallest antelope in the world. Antelope Wild Dick: description, photo

All of us have long been accustomed to the existence of dwarf dogs, cats, rabbits and even horses. However, today's heroines will surely surprise many.

The smallest antelope

A few people know that there are "mini-versions" of these animals. Dwarf antelope (the photo you see in our article) for our compatriots is an exotic curiosity. This little baby is called Royal. This is the smallest antelope in the world. Its weight is about 4 kilograms, and the height does not exceed 30 cm. Its cub is born so small that it fits easily in the palm of a person.

Habitat

Where does this little creature live? To see it, you should go to the jungles of West Africa. True, it is not at all a fact that you will manage to meet her. The royal antelope is an animal at night, and besides very timid.

Lifestyle

These kids live alone, very rarely merging into pairs. Eat fruits, berries, leaves in the underbrush. With food, they usually do not have problems. This makes the population fairly stable. According to the latest data, today there are 62,000 animals of this species.

Many local tribes took the initiative - they urged not to hunt for royal antelope, because in many nations the smallest antelope is a symbol of wisdom.

At the same time, there are those who kill these defenseless animals for meat. This is the most serious danger that awaits this baby.

Antelope Wild Dick

Another babe living in Africa. Dick-dick - this is not the smallest antelope, but the most elegant of its representatives can easily fit on the hand of an adult male. Despite the tiny size and angelic appearance, these kids are endowed with a rather fighting nature, and sometimes behave simply defiantly.

Varieties

There are 4 varieties of these kids. Most animals live in limestone and stony deserts and in savannahs, where prickly bushes grow in abundance.

Dik-dikis are mostly hiding in dense bushes, they are almost impossible to meet in the open space. They build their own pathways-tunnels, through which they can pass only themselves. An animal of a larger size can not fit there. They are not afraid of hyenas or leopards - no big predators.

Although wild dick is not the smallest antelope, its body length is only 45 cm, its growth does not exceed 35 cm. They weigh only 2 kg, there are also larger species, but their weight does not exceed 5 kg.

This animal is very much like a funny toy. A charming image is complemented by slim, slender legs, a sharp little muzzle, on which a small nose-proboscis is frowning ridiculously.

Color

A small, slender body of wild dick is painted in light gray-brown color. Legs, muzzle and pappus are yellow-brown in color, and abdomen are white.

This little girl is struck by her huge beautiful eyes. They are surrounded by a white border resembling a fashionable frame from the glasses.

Sexual differences

The females are usually larger than males, but not much at all. But the representatives of the stronger sex have 10-centimeter sharp horns.

Behavior in nature

This little antelope is an animal territorial. Each pair has its own piece of land, which the male desperately guards. The size of the territory can be up to 20 hectares. Every day, his borders are patrolled by a married couple, and sometimes young people come out to such a watch.

Marking their territory, these antelopes emit a loud, whistling, piercing sound, similar to "wild dick." Hence the name of the animal.

Battles for the territory happen very rarely and do not lead to tragedies. Usually one of the "fighters" either immediately escapes, or slowly, after unsuccessful collisions, is removed into the bushes.

In addition, this whistling sound is an alarm signal when a predator appears nearby. Instantly, small antelopes disappear from sight among the thickets of shrubs.

At short distances, the wild-dik accelerates to 42 km / h. This is quite enough to get to the rescue bushes.

The animal is most active in the morning, in the evening and at night, as it does not tolerate the heat. With the onset of the rainy season, when the air temperature drops a little, they leave the shelters in the daytime.

Dick-dicks are very trusting and curious. This has long been used by local residents who hunted these babies for the sake of the skin (gloves are made of it).

Food

What horrible dick-dick is not. In food, this animal is selective. In general, their diet consists of leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and pods of trees and shrubs. They can also pinch the grass, but this is not their main food. The necessary moisture is obtained from plants and morning dew. That is why they can survive even in arid regions where there are no water bodies.

Reproduction

Offspring appear after the end of the rainy season. The female has a baby for six months. In a year the female can have an offspring twice a year - 1 young.

The baby remains with the mother until the age of three months. At the parental site, babies remain up to 6 months, until puberty.