Cephalophus crusalbum (Grubb, 1978)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Bovidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-779 : 723

252.

White-legged Duiker

Cephalophus crusalbum

French: Céphalophe a pattes blanches / German: WeilRbeinducker / Spanish: Duiker de patas blancas

Taxonomy. Cephalophus ogilby crusalbum Grubb, 1978 ,

Orobi Jokwa, near Ogouma, Gabon .

Initially described as a subspecies of C. ogilbyr , but is considered here to be a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Coastal Gabon to W Republic of the Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 96.5-104. 1 cm (although two recorded specimens are much larger, c¢. 145 cm), tail 13-16 cm; weight ¢. 20 kg. A medium-sized duiker with a golden brown coat. The hindquarters and rump are darker than the sides, and the neck and forequarters have a grayish tint. The hair on the nape of the neck may be reversed in a narrow tract along the spine. The belly is grayish. A black dorsalstripe, 2.5-6 cm wide (wider than that of Ogilby’s Duiker, C. ogilbyi ), runs from the shoulders to the rump, where it narrows to I cm and extends to the tail tip. Scattered black hairs may expand out from the stripe near the tail, creating a secondary band up to 10 cm wide. Aside from the median black stripe, the dorsal surface of the tail is golden brown. The underside of the tail has longer white hairs, and there is a long (approximately 7-5 cm), narrow terminal tuft of gray-brown hairs. All four legs are relatively long and distinctly white below the carpus and tarsus. A narrow brown stripe extends down the front of the forelegs, widening and darkening around the hooves; a similar but less distinct band runs down the hindlegs. The throat and lower jaw are white. The head is gray, with a darker brown forehead and blackish muzzle. A bright chestnut arch runs above each eye, and the coronal tuft between the ears is dark chestnut in color. The ears are covered with sparse black hairs outside, and the inside surfaces are marked with striking tracts of white hair. Horns are present in both sexes; reported measurements are 8:7-10. 9 cm for males and approximately 5 cm for females. Dental formula is 10/3, C0/1, P 3/3, M3/3 (2Y=32.

Habitat. Rainforest blocks and forest patches within savanna-forest mosaic.

Food and Feeding. Feeds on fruits, seeds, and flowers. The White-legged Duiker is frequently observed under trees in which primates are feeding, consuming fallen or dropped matter. One individual was recorded feeding on the fruits of Klainedoxa gabonensus.

Breeding. There is very little specific information available for this species. Juveniles are strongly speckled.

Activity patterns. Limited observations indicate this species is diurnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is little specific information available for this species, but observed alone or in pairs.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II (under C. ogilbyi ). Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as C. o. crusalbum). The White-legged Duikeris relatively common, with stable population numbers throughout most of its known distribution. The total population is estimated to be 18,000 individuals.

Bibliography. East (1999), Gauthier-Hion & Gautier (1994), Groves (2001), Grubb (1978), Grubb & Groves (2001), IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008I).

Figures

On following pages: 245. Eastern Bay Duiker (Cephalophus castaneus); 246. Jentink’s Duiker (Cephalophus jentinki); 247. Western Yellow-backed Duiker (Cephalophus silviculton; 248. Eastern Yellow-backed Duiker (Cephalophus curticeps); 249. Abbott's Duiker (Cephalophus spadix); 250. Black Duiker (Cephalophus niger); 251. Ogilby’s Duiker (Cephalophus ogilbyi); 252. White-legged Duiker (Cephalophus crusalbum): 253. Brooke's Duiker (Cephalophus brookel); 254. Peters's Duiker (Cephalophus callipygus).

Distribution. Coastal Gabon to W Republic of the Congo .