About Yellow-backed Duikers
The yellow-backed duiker's coat is mostly black or dark brown with a triangular patch of yellow fur on their back near the tail. The yellow color appears at about one month of age and develops for the next ten months. When they are born, they have spots on their flanks to help them hide from predators. Males and females look very similar, but females are slightly larger in overall size than males. Both sexes have small, pointed horns that grow to be 8-21 centimeters long.
Yellow-backed duikers are considered monogamous and will form pair bonds. Females will help their mate defend their territory, but they also will move around quite a bit. Females mature around 9-12 months, and males reach maturity at 12-18 months. Their gestation period lasts around seven months, and females can give birth to one or two calves at a time. Calves will hide in their dense forest habitat for the first week or two of their life before venturing out.
Yellow-backed duikers at the Akron Zoo
The yellow-backed duikers can be found in the Pride of Africa area at the Akron Zoo.
- Finn - male, born June 12, 2024
- Silvie - female, born December 6, 2021