All of us have long been accustomed to the fact that there are dwarf dogs, cats, rabbits and even horses. However, our today's heroines will surely surprise many.
Smallest antelope
The fact that there are "mini-versions" of these animals few know. The dwarf antelope (the photo you see in our article) is an exotic curiosity for our compatriots. This baby is called Royal. It is the smallest antelope in the world. Her weight is about 4 kilograms, and her height does not exceed 30 cm. Her cub is born so small that it easily fits in the palm of a person.
Habitat
Where does this baby live? To see her, you should go to the jungle of West Africa. True, it’s not at all a fact that you will be able to meet her. The royal antelope is a nocturnal animal, and also very timid.
Lifestyle
These babies live alone, very rarely pairing. They feed on fruits, berries, leaves in undergrowth. They usually have no problems with food. This allows the population to be considered quite stable. According to the latest data, today there are 62,000 animals of this species.
Many local tribes took the initiative - they urged not to hunt royal antelopes, since for many peoples the smallest antelope is a symbol of wisdom.
At the same time, there are those who kill these defenseless animals for meat. This is the most serious danger awaiting this baby.
Antelope dick wild
Another baby living in Africa. Dick-dick is not the smallest antelope, but its most elegant representatives can easily fit on the arm of an adult man. Despite their tiny size and angelic appearance, these babies are endowed with a rather militant character, and sometimes they behave simply defiantly.
Varieties
There are 4 varieties of these babies. Mostly animals live in limestone and rocky deserts and savannahs, where thorny bushes grow in abundance.
Dik-wilds mostly hide in dense shrubs, it is almost impossible to meet them in the open. They build their own tunnels, through which only themselves can go. A larger animal will simply not fit there. They are not afraid of either hyenas or leopards - no large predators.
Although dik-dik is not the smallest antelope, its body length is only 45 cm, its height does not exceed 35 cm. They weigh only 2 kg, there are larger species, but their weight does not exceed 5 kg.
This animal is very reminiscent of a funny toy. A charming image is complemented by slender thin legs, a sharp muzzle, on which a small proboscis little nose wrinkles funny.
Color
A small, slender little body of wild-dyk is painted in a light gray-brown color. The legs, muzzle, and tuft are yellow-brown in color, and the abdomen is white.
This baby impresses with her huge beautiful eyes. They are surrounded by a white border resembling a fashionable frame from glasses.
Gender differences
Females are usually larger than males, but not by much. But the stronger sex have 10-centimeter sharp horns.
Nature behavior
This little antelope is a territorial animal. Each pair has its own plot of land, which the male desperately guards. The size of the territory can be up to 20 ha. Every day, its borders are patrolled by a married couple, and sometimes calves also go out to such a watch.
When marking their territory, these antelopes make a loud, whistling, piercing sound, similar to a “wild dick”. Hence the name of the animal.
Battles for the territory are very rare and do not lead to tragedies. Usually one of the “fighters” either immediately runs away, or slowly, after unsuccessful collisions, leaves for the bushes.
In addition, this whistling sound is an alarm when a predator appears nearby. Instantly small antelopes disappear from sight among thickets of bushes.
At short distances, the wild-savage accelerates to 42 km / h. This is enough to get to the rescue bushes.
The animal is most active in the morning, evening and night, as it does not tolerate heat. With the onset of the rainy season, when the air temperature drops slightly, they leave their shelters in the daytime.
Dick wilds are very gullible and curious. This has long been used by local residents who hunted these babies for the sake of the skin (gloves are made from it).
Nutrition
What horrible wild-dick will not be. In food, this animal is selective. Basically, their diet consists of leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and pods of trees and shrubs. They can pinch the grass, but this is not their main food. The necessary moisture is obtained from plants and morning dew. That is why they can survive even in arid areas where there are no ponds.
Breeding
Offspring appear after the end of the rainy season. The female carries the cub for six months. A female may have offspring twice a year - 1 cub each.
The baby remains with his mother until the age of three months. At the parent site, babies remain up to 6 months, until puberty is reached.