Kirk's dik-dik
| Kirk's dik-dik | |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Female Both at the Etosha National Park in Namibia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Antilopinae |
| Genus: | Madoqua |
| Species: | M. kirkii |
| Binomial name | |
| Madoqua kirkii (Günther, 1880) | |
| Subspecies | |
|
4 ssp., see text | |
| Range | |
Kirk's dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) is a species of small dik-dik antelope native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is believed to have six subspecies and possibly a seventh existing in southwest Africa. Dik-diks are herbivores, typically of a fawn color that aids in camouflaging themselves in savannah habitats. According to MacDonald (1985), they are also capable of reaching speeds up to 42 km/hour. The lifespan of Kirk's dik-dik in the wild is typically 5 years, but may surpass 10 years. In captivity, males have been known to live up to 16.5 years, while females have lived up to 18.4 years.