Damara Dik-Dik

Description:

Damara dik-dik are a small species, standing about 400 mm at shoulder, with a mass of about 5 Kg.

The upper parts oft he body are yelowish-grey in colour, the hairs with subterminak whitish or pale yellow annulations and dark tips. The hair on the face, the crown of thehead and around the ears is a pale rusty colour. The chest and belly and inside oft he thigs are pure white.

Only the male dik-diks carry the spike-like horns which are stout at the base and are ridged and longitudinally grooved .

Habits:

Damara dik-dik occur singly, in pairs or in family parties of three. During the dry season between the months of april to august small groups of up to six may be seen together.

They are a shy species and when suddenly disturbed, give vent to a single explosive whistle as they run for cover tot he deepest part oft he thicket. In reaction to sudden fright Damara dik-diks may also bound away stiff-legged, stotting, with their legs tucked up under their bodies.

Damara dik-dik may spend as much as 51% of their time inactive during the day, standing or lying down in thick shady cover ruminating, often in situations overlooking open glades. They are active at sunrise, in the late afternoon and at dusk, with some activity after dark.

Habitat:

The typical habitat of the Damara dik-dik is dense woodland and thicket on stony or hard clay ground with a well developed shrub understorey, but with little or no grass. They avoid rocky outcrops, but occur in clos association with these around their fringes. They are also found on hillsides and in riverine thickets which acta s wise desert or semi-desert country. Where the substrate is stony  an calcareous and there is suitable vegetation they occur in flat country.

Throughout the range of Damara dik-dik in the Subregion they are confined to areas with a mean annual rainfall of between 75 and 500 mm, in the lower rainfall areas normally confined to riverine associations. During the middle oft he rainy season, Tinley recorded that they exhibit local movements, in evasive response from areas with heavy growth of grass, to areas where the substrate is more open.

In Namibia they occur from Kaokoland southward to Brukkaros Mountain in the central hilly parts oft he country; in the north they occur as far east as the Grootfontein district. In the northwest they penetrate into the coastal Namib Desert down watercourses with associated thickets.

Source: J D Skinner and R H N Smithers: the mammals oft he southern african subregion; Wikipedia