Kirk's dik-dik

Kirk's dik-dik
Male
Female
Both at the Etosha National Park in Namibia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Madoqua
Species:
M. kirkii
Binomial name
Madoqua kirkii
(Günther, 1880)
Subspecies

4 ssp., see text

Range

Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a species of small dik-dik antelope native to Eastern and Southern Africa.[1][2] It is believed to have six subspecies and possibly a seventh existing in southwest Africa.[3] Dik-diks are herbivores, typically of a fawn color that aids in camouflaging themselves in savannah habitats.[3] According to MacDonald (1985), they are also capable of reaching speeds up to 42 km/hour.[4] The lifespan of Kirk's dik-dik in the wild is typically 5 years, but may surpass 10 years.[4] In captivity, males have been known to live up to 16.5 years, while females have lived up to 18.4 years.[4]

  1. ^ a b IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Madoqua kirkii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T12670A50190709. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T12670A50190709.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Estes, Richard. "dik-dik - antelope". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on Mar 27, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Kirk's dik-dik". Twycross Zoo. Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  4. ^ a b c Scheibe, Elizabeth (1999). "Madoqua kirkii: Information". Animal Diversity Web. Archived from the original on Nov 28, 2023.