habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
This species occurs extensively across a variety of habitats, with the exception of deserts and rainforests. The availability of woody vegetation or tall grass cover is an integral habitat requirement for this species for shelter, protection, shade and food resources, thus the Common Duiker is most characteristically a savannah woodland species. They occasionally occur in open tall grasslands, extending into mountainous habitats, such as Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya (Wilson 2013), as well as the Fynbos Biome in the southwestern extent of their range; but are generally absent from short grasslands (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). The Common Duiker adapts successfully to habitat conversion and fragmentation resulting from agricultural expansion, remaining along the fringes of cultivated areas (Photo 1), occasionally extending into agricultural lands once crops have reached sufficient heights to provide cover (Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Wilson 2013). They also survive in areas where there is low secondary growth (IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2016).
A study conducted in the Soutpansberg Mountains showed that the Common Duiker preferred feeding in areas with tall grass and scattered fern (sufficient cover and escape routes), followed by wooded islands and thick fern (lack of sightlines/escape routes and presence of predator ambush sites), whereas little foraging occurred at the edges and rocky areas (hard substrate that impede escape potential) (Baker & Brown 2013). Within the Grants Valley, Eastern Cape chicory provided more than one third of the Common Duikerâs winter diet and a substantial proportion (14.4%) of the spring diet (Kigozi 2003). Its wide range of tolerance for different habitats enables its continuous distribution across the bioregional variation within South Africa, although it has been proposed that this species exhibits clinal variation across bioregions, which would need to be supported by genetic research. Habitat connectivity across different vegetation types is essential to maintain gene-flow and clinal variation within this species. Its distribution is continuous and widespread throughout South Africa with lower densities in areas without suitable cover.
The Common Duiker is a selective feeder or concentrate selector with a varied diet, but is predominantly a browser, which does not concentrate its feeding on one of a few species (Prins et al. 2006). This species is known to consume a variety of foliage, fruit, seeds, herbs, and occasionally, cultivated crops (Wilson 2013). Gagnon and Chew (2000) reported the percentage of monocots in the diet of the Common Duiker as 12%, whereas a study conducted in southern Mozambique found 14-30% inclusion of monocots in the Common Duiker diet (Prins et al. 2006).
Generally solitary, the Common Duiker is only found in female-young pairs, or male-female pairs while the female is in oestrus (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). This species is an aseasonal breeder, and young may be born at any time of the year following a gestation period of 191 days (Bowland 1997). Young mature rapidly, and females are able to conceive at just 8â9 months old (Bowland 1997; Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Usually one lamb is born, weighing 1.5 kg (Bowland 1997).
Ecosystem and cultural services: This species forms a valuable prey component of the diet of a number of predators, such as Leopard (Panthera pardus) (Hayward et al. 2006), Lion (Panthera leo) and Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) (Hayward 2006).
