About
A Duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. Common duikers are omnivores, typically eating the leaves and shoots of bushes, and fruits and flowers that feeding birds have dropped to the ground. They also dig up tubers and roots with their hooves. Common duikers may eat insects and even lizards, frogs, rodents and nestling birds. Occasionally they may eat carrion. Duikers form monogamous breeding pairs, meaning that one male mates and lives only with one female. Females are known to produce young at any time of the year, with gestation probably lasting 4-7 months. A female will seek out very secluded and thick cover for the birth. Normally one young is born, though sometimes there are two. Newborns are well developed when born and are able to run within a period of twenty-four hours. Both parents look after them. Young are weaned at 2 months of age and reach adult size in 6 months. Females attain reproductive maturity at 8-9 months and males at 12 months of age. In some African cultures, the Common duiker’s horn is made into pendants that are believed to ward off evil spirits.The Common duiker’s call of alarm is a nasal snort. It bleats loudly when caught and this sound will attract other duikers. It is believed that 8 different races of the Common duiker exist. Their varied coloration may mean that they match their specific habitat. Male Common duikers have a pair of small horns and in some places it is typical for females to also have them. African rock pythons have been known to die by their stomachs being pierced by the male duiker’s horns after swallowing them whole. Antelopes have scent glands for leaving marks of their presence. Duikers will press their face gland against each side of a duiker of the opposite sex in ‘mutual marking.’
― In-game description