Overview
Brief Summary
Biology
Duikers are shy animals that move around alone or in pairs (3). Like other duikers, pairs of black-fronted duikers inhabit a territory that is marked with scented secretions from glands on the face (2). Within this area of habitat, the duiker follows regular paths from its sleeping shelter to feeding grounds (2), where it consumes a variety of fruit and succulent vegetation (2). Information on the life history of the black-fronted duiker is lacking, but an individual in captivity lived for nearly 20 years (3).
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Comprehensive Description
Description
The black-fronted duiker is a sturdy and active antelope (3), named for the broad black streak that runs from the nose to its forehead (2), which distinguishes this species from the other duikers of Africa (4). Its glossy coat is a shade of red, chestnut, or dark red-brown (2) (4), with the hair becoming thinner and darker, almost black, on the long legs (2). The short tail is black with a white tip (4). Both male and female black-fronted duikers have short, pointed horns (3), measuring between 4 and 12 centimetres (4), which are used in combat with other duikers and in defence against predators (3). The subspecies Cephalophus nigrifrons rubidus (the Ruwenzori black-fronted duiker), which is recognised by some as a distinct species, differs in appearance by having a white belly and thicker hair (4).
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Distribution
Range Description
The Black-fronted Duiker occurs widely in swamp forests and alongside watercourses within the equatorial forest zone, from south-eastern Nigeria to the Albertine Rift, and in isolated montane forests in East Africa. The Nigerian population occurs in the Niger Delta and is probably disjunct from the nearest known population in Cameroon (East 1999; Plumptre in press). Isolated populations of this species were recorded on Mounts Cameroon, Kupe and Manengube by Bowden (1986), but Grubb et al. (2003) were not convinced these records relate to Black-fronted Duiker.
C. n. rubidus is confined to the Ruwenzori Mtns at altitudes of 1,300-4,200 m, although it is thus far only recorded from the Ugandan side (Kingdon 1982, Grubb and Groves 2001; Kingdon in press).
C. n. rubidus is confined to the Ruwenzori Mtns at altitudes of 1,300-4,200 m, although it is thus far only recorded from the Ugandan side (Kingdon 1982, Grubb and Groves 2001; Kingdon in press).
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Range
The black-fronted duiker occurs in central Africa, from southern Cameroon to western Kenya and northern Angola (3). The Ruwenzori black-fronted duiker occurs only in the Ruwenzori Mountains, a mountain range located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (4)
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
Tropical forests of central Africa ranging from lowland swamp forest and seasonally flooded forest with poorly drained or permanently saturated soils (where it is frequently encountered along streams and in marshy areas) to montane forests, subalpine vegetation zones, bamboo, and moorland on Mounts Elgon and Kenya and the Aberdares (Kenya).
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Habitat
This small antelope is an inhabitant of montane, lowland, and swamp forests (2) (4), from low altitudes up to 3,500 metres above sea level (2).
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Life History and Behavior
Life Expectancy
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
Maximum longevity: 17.9 years (captivity)
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Cephalophus nigrifrons
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 5 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
Download FASTA File
There are 5 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
BSHMT039-09|0293|Cephalophus nigrifrons| ---------------------------------------ACCTTATATCTCCTGTTCGGTGCTTGAGCTGGCATAGTAGGAACCGCTCTA---AGTTTATTAATCCGCGCTGAATTAGGTCAACCTGGAACCTTACTCGGAGAC---GACCAAATTTACAACGTAATCGTAACCGCACATGCATTCGTAATAATTTTCTTCATGGTAATACCTATCATAATTGGAGGCTTCGGCAACTGACTAGTCCCTCTGATA---ATCGGTGCCCCAGATATAGCATTTCCCCGAATAAATAACATAAGTTTCTGACTTCTCCCTCCCTCCTTCTTACTACTCCTGGCATCTTCTATAGTTGAAGCTGGAGCAGGAACTGGCTGAACCGTATATCCCCCTCTAGCAGGTAACCTGGCCCATGCAGGAGCCTCAGTAGACCTG---ACTATCTTCTCTTTACACCTAGCGGGTGTCTCTTCAATTTTAGGGGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATGAAGCCCCCTGCAATATCTCAGTACCAGACTCCCTTATTTGTATGATCAGTGCTAATCACTGCCGTGTTATTACTTCTCTCCCTCCCTGTATTAGCAGCT---GGTATTACAATACTACTAACTGACCGAAATCTGAACACAACCTTCTTCGACCCAGCAGGAGGTGGGGACCCTATCCTA-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- end --
-- end --
Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Cephalophus nigrifrons
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Species: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1
Public Records: 5
Species: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
LC
Least Concern
Red List Criteria
Version
3.1
Year Assessed
2008
Assessor/s
IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group
Reviewer/s
Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment)
Justification
Listed as Least Concern as the species remains reasonably widespread with a total population in the order of 300,000. However, this species’ numbers will continue to decrease gradually as human populations and bushmeat hunting increase within the equatorial forest zone. If current trends continue, it will eventually disappear from large parts of its present range until it is confined to isolated fragments of forest which are effectively protected from hunting and the encroachment of settlement. Current rates of decline are not yet considered to have reached the threshold for Near Threatened.
History
- 1996Lower Risk/near threatened
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Status
Classified as Lower Risk / Near Threatened (LR/nt) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1). Subspecies: Cephalophus nigrifrons rubidus (Ruwenzori black-fronted duiker) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1).
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Trends
Population
Population
Population Trend
East (1999) produced a total population estimate of about 300,000. Population trends are probably downwards over large parts of the species’ range, except for areas where hunting pressures are low because of low human population densities and/or active protection.
East (1999) suggested that the population of the Rwenzori Red Duiker may number at least in the thousands.
East (1999) suggested that the population of the Rwenzori Red Duiker may number at least in the thousands.
Population Trend
Decreasing
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Threats
Threats
Major Threats
Like most other forest duikers, the distribution and numbers of this species have been reduced markedly in areas of dense human settlement and intensive hunting for bushmeat, but it survives in good numbers in areas where the level of human activities is relatively low (East 1999).
Although much of the range of the Rwenzori Red Duiker falls in a national park, the species nonetheless remains susceptible to snaring, and to habitat loss in the lower elevations of its range.
Although much of the range of the Rwenzori Red Duiker falls in a national park, the species nonetheless remains susceptible to snaring, and to habitat loss in the lower elevations of its range.
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Threats
Like other duikers, the black-fronted duiker is being impacted by both hunting for food and habitat destruction (3) (4). As human populations in some parts of central Africa rapidly expand, duikers are increasingly hunted and suitable habitat is lost to human settlements and agriculture (1) (3).
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Management
Conservation Actions
Conservation Actions
The Black-fronted Duiker is present in a number of protected areas such as Lobeke (Cameroon), Dzanga-Sangha and Bangassou (Central African Republic), Lake Tele-Likouala and Nouabale-Ndoki (Congo-Brazzaville), Virunga, Ituri, Maiko, Kahuzi-Biega and Salonga (Congo-Kinshasa), Bwindi (Uganda), Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Mount Kenya. Most of these key populations are stable.
Much of the Ugandan range of the Rwenzori Red Duiker is included within Rwenzori Mountains National Park. There is a need for further taxonomic work to determine whether this subspecies does indeed deserve recognition as a distinct species (as considered by Kingdon in press).
Much of the Ugandan range of the Rwenzori Red Duiker is included within Rwenzori Mountains National Park. There is a need for further taxonomic work to determine whether this subspecies does indeed deserve recognition as a distinct species (as considered by Kingdon in press).
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Conservation
The black-fronted duiker occurs in numerous protected areas throughout its range, including Lake Lobeke Reserve, Cameroon; Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo; and Ipassa Reserve, Congo (5), which will hopefully help protect this wary antelope from detrimental human activities.
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