Bates's pygmy antelope
Neotragus batesi
Hmotnost
4 - 7 lbs ( 2 - 3 kg)
Výška
20 - 22 inches ( 50 - 57 cm)
About Bates's pygmy antelope
Bates's pygmy antelope also known as the dwarf antelope, pygmy antelope or Bates' dwarf antelope—is a very small antelope live in the moist forest and brush of Central and West Africa. It is in the same genus as the suni and the royal antelope.
Bate's pygmy antelopes eat leaves, buds, shoots, fungus, grass, and herbs. They also eat crops, which made them unpopular to farmers. They are often caught in snares near agricultural fields. They have a typical territory of 2 to 4 hectares (4.9 to 9.9 acres). Males are territorial; marking their territory with scent produces in the preorbital glands. Females are friendlier with each other and sometimes live in small groups. They bark when fleeing. Most pygmy antelopes mate at late dry and early wet seasons. Gestation period is 180 days. One young is born per pregnancy. The fawn weight between 1.6 to 2.4 kg (3.5 to 5.3 lb).
Bate's pygmy antelopes are not endangered; the IUCN list does not show them as Near Threatened. Their biggest problem is habitat loss; the expansion of human population has a very negative effect on the future population. They are not hunted for meat, but farmers sometimes kill and eat limited numbers.