Cephalophus jentinki Thomas, 1892

Jentink's Duiker

Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System external link, T Orrell (custodian) in 
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (EN) external link Showing: scientific names

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Biology

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ARKive external link
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Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008. Some rights reserved external link
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The secretive nature and inaccessible habitat of Jentink's duiker has made it a difficult species to study, and no research on this species has ever been undertaken in Africa (4). It is thought to be active during periods of the day and night (4), and is believed to be territorial (2), spending its days hiding in dense vegetation, hollow trees or under fallen trunks (2). Unusually for duikers, which are relatively solitary animals, Jentink's duikers sometimes rest in pairs during the day (2). Incredibly, Jentink's duiker is so secretive, that it survived unknown for many years on the steep, forested slopes overlooking Freetown, Sierra Leone, an enormous city with over a million inhabitants (8).

Like other duikers, Jentink's duiker has a diet primarily of fruit which it can feed on in the safety of its impenetrable habitat. However, when fruit is scarce, it ventures out under the cover of darkness to feed on palm nuts, mangos and cocoa pods in plantations. It has also been observed feeding on the growing stems of tree seedlings, and using its hooves to dig up roots to chew (2).

"Cephalophus jentinki Thomas, 1892". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/328713". Accessed 18 Mar 2010.