Chimp & See Talk

Blue duiker?

  • Corcaroli by Corcaroli

    Both of these duikers are classified as small grey but I'm wondering if the one on the right is actually a blue duiker. Even if it is, we would still classify it as a small grey duiker, even though the blue duiker is a different species.

    Posted

  • Boleyn by Boleyn moderator

    Dick, I've just read that Kibale National Park (where Green-Snowflake is located as seen in this thread here) has red duikers and blue duikers. No other duikers are mentioned. So I think all the small grey duikers we see here are actually blue duikers, as all red duikers seem to be Weyns duikers.

    Maybe a scientist or somebody with more duiker knowledge as me could chime in here, please? Thanks!

    Posted

  • Corcaroli by Corcaroli in response to Boleyn's comment.

    Thanks for the info, Heidi. I checked in Wikipedia, which didn't help much. They said that the common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) is also known as the grey or bush duiker, and their coloration varies widely. I think it would be a futile exercise to try to decide whether a subject animal is a blue duiker (Philantomba monticola) or a grey common duiker. I think the only sane thing to do is to continue classifying duikers we see as either small grey or red, especially since the classifications are collectors. I presume the scientists don't have any objection to this, since we've been doing it for a while. 😃

    Posted

  • AnLand by AnLand moderator

    I actually don't think that we've seen any common or gray duiker here a Green Snowflake. But it would be possible according to the IUCN distribution map. If I have a bit more time, I will go to the tagged videos to check this opinion, though.

    I would also think that the common duiker will look more like a red duiker here, but with a different (bushier) tail and I can't remember seeing any of these, too. They are also a bit bigger. But maybe I find some time to check this too.

    So, I think that we only have blue duiker (classified as small grey duikers) and Weyns' duiker (classified as red duikers) at this site. That means, all #small_grey_duiker here are blue duikers, not common (or gray) duikers.

    Posted

  • MimiA by MimiA scientist, moderator

    That's correct @AnLand and @Boleyn 😃 thanks for your question @corcaroli!

    small grey duikers are only ever either blue duikers or maxwell's duikers 😃 (Cephalophus monticola and Cephalophus maxwelli)

    bush duikers always fall under red duikers (despite the fact that sometimes they are grey and called grey duikers) 😃

    Posted