| Kirk's Dik-dik | |
|---|---|
| M. k. damarensis, female | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Genus: | Madoqua |
| Species: | M. kirkii |
| Binomial name | |
| Madoqua kirkii (Günther, 1880) |
|
Kirk's Dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a small antelope found in eastern and southwestern Africa. It grows to 70 centimetres (28 in) in length and weighs up to 7 kilograms (15 lb) when full grown. It has a reddish-brown head and a tail that is 35–55 cm (14–22 in) long.
It has a soft, grizzled gray to brown coat, and eats a wide range of plants. It has hooves with rubbery bottoms, which are effective when traveling over rocky terrain. Newborns are hidden for 2–3 weeks, and suckle for 3–4 months.
Genetic and behavioural evidence suggests that Kirk's Dik-dik exhibits fidelity in monogamous behaviour. Genetic analysis of off-spring indicate little non-pair parentage. Year-round, Kirk's Dik-diks stay close within pairs, follow each other's activity patterns and spend more than half of their time with their partners, although males give no parental care. The males guard their mates closely during oestrus and over-mark all female scent. This behaviour reduces the likelihood of other males attempting to mate, however, males do attempt to mate with other females on occasion. Genetic monogamy in dik-diks is probably best explained by the behaviour of females: in contrast to many monogamous female birds, female dik-diks do not appear to seek to mate outside the pair-bond.[2]
Usually four subspecies of Kirk's Dik-dik are distinguished, but in fact they may represent three or more distinct species[3]: