Editing Kirk's dik-dik

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Kirk's dik-dik
| image = Madoqua kirkii - male (Namutoni).jpg
| image_caption = Male
| image2 = Madoqua kirkii - female (Namutoni).jpg
| image2_caption = Female<br/>Both at the [[Etosha National Park]] in Namibia
| status = LC 
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group |date=2016 |title=''Madoqua kirkii'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T12670A50190709 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T12670A50190709.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Madoqua
| species = kirkii
| authority = ([[Albert Günther|Günther]], 1880)
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = 4 ssp., see text
| range_map = Madoqua kirkii map.png
| range_map_caption =Range
}}

'''Kirk's dik-dik''' ('''''Madoqua kirkii''''') is a species of [[dik-dik]] [[antelope]] native to [[Eastern Africa|Eastern]] and [[Southern Africa]].<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/><ref name="sou rce1">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/163461/dik-dik|title=dik-dik - antelope|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |first1=Richard |last1=Estes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327012309/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/163461/dik-dik |archive-date= Mar 27, 2012 }}</ref> It is believed to have six subspecies and possibly a seventh existing in southwest Africa.<ref name="source5">{{cite web|url=http://twycrosszoo.org/animals/other-mammals/small-mammals/kirks-dik-dik/|title=Kirk's dik-dik |website=Twycross Zoo |access-date=2015-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125223912/http://twycrosszoo.org/animals/other-mammals/small-mammals/kirks-dik-dik/|archive-date=2015-11-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dik-diks are herbivores, typically of a fawn color that aids in camouflaging themselves in savannah habitats.<ref name=source5 /> According to MacDonald (1985), they are also capable of reaching speeds  up to 42&nbsp;km/hour.<ref name="source8">{{cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Madoqua_kirkii/|title= ''Madoqua kirkii'': Information |date=1999 |first1=Elizabeth |last1=Scheibe |work=Animal Diversity Web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128100256/http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/madoqua_kirkii/ |archive-date= Nov 28, 2023 }}</ref> The lifespan of Kirk's dik-dik in the wild is typically 5 years, but may surpass 10 years.<ref name=source8 /> In captivity, males have been known to live up to 16.5 years, while females have lived up to 18.4 years.<ref name=source8 />

== Etymology ==
The dik-dik's name is derived from its call.<ref name="sou rce1"/> When they feel threatened, dik-diks lie low to prevent detection.<ref name="sou rce1"/> If they are discovered, they run in a swift, zigzag-like pattern until they reach refuge in a nearby thicket.<ref name="sou rce1"/> During this 'flight', they emit trumpet-like "zik-zik" calls to raise an alarm or to harass predators and publicize the presence of a mated pair.<ref name="sou rce1"/>

== Physical characteristics ==
Dik-diks are some of the world's smallest antelopes, with the largest, the Kirk's dik-dik, standing between 14 and 18 inches tall and weighing no more than {{convert|7.2|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Female dik-diks tend to be 1 to 2 pounds heavier than males.<ref name="sou rce1"/> They are dainty creatures with a pointed, mobile snout, large eyes and ears, prominent preorbital glands, pipestem legs, hare-like hind limbs that are significantly larger than their forelimbs, and a [[vestigial]] tail.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Their coats, depending upon their habitat,<ref name=source3 /> range from grey to gray-brown with tan flanks, limbs, and an erectile head crest and whitish eye rings, ear lining, underparts, and rump.<ref name="sou rce1"/>

Only male dik-diks sport [[horn (anatomy)|horns]], which are about 3 in (8&nbsp;cm) long, corrugated, and backward-slanted.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Horns of male Kirk's dik-diks may be straight or curved backwards from the profile of the face, and the basal half of the horns have seven to nine annular ridges that are frequently covered by the crest.<ref name=source8 /> Kirk's dik-diks are sexually [[Sexual dimorphism|dimorphic]]; females are larger and lack horns, while males sport a more developed muzzle, have a longer crest, and tend to be lighter in color.<ref name="source9">{{Cite web |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-569-01-0001.pdf |title=Madoqua kirkii |work=Mammalian Species |publisher=American Society of Mammalogists |date=24 October 1997 |first1=Steven C. |last1=Kingswood |first2=Arlene T. |last2=Kumamoto |via=Clark Science Center |access-date=2015-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905125736/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-569-01-0001.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Though physically very similar, Kirk's dik-dik can be distinguished from Guenthers' dik-dik by its longer nasals and premaxillae and shorter proboscis, which gives the head a more wedged-shaped profile than that of Guenther's dik-dik.<ref name=source8 />

== Adaptations ==
Kirk's dik-diks are highly adapted to surviving in the arid regions of eastern Africa. They have a hairy proboscis with tiny, slit-like nostrils, although this is less pronounced than in Guenther's dik-diks.<ref name="source2">{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-in-the-world-is-a-dik-dik-39681860/ |title=What In The World Is A Dik-dik?|author=Sarah Zielinski|work=Smithsonian Magazine |date= August 1, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204214647/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-in-the-world-is-a-dik-dik-39681860/?no-ist |archive-date= Feb 4, 2023 }}</ref> This proboscis contains an enlarged nasal chamber supplied with a rich amount of blood that is cooled by rapid nasal panting.<ref name=source2 /> Panting through their snouts leads to airflow and evaporation that cools the blood before it is pumped back into the body. This process is also efficient, because it results in a minimal loss of water in the exhaled air.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Water- and energy-conserving methods, such as fluctuating body temperatures, lowered metabolic rates, concentrated urine, and dry feces, all contribute to the ability of the dik-dik to survive harsh arid climates.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Further,<ref>Hoppe 1977b, Kamau 1988, and Maloiy et al., 1988,</ref> they also conserve fluids by licking dew from their nose and reabsorbing water from their feces.<ref name=source8 /> When compared to cattle, dik-diks have a significantly lower density of sweat glands.<ref name=source8 />

Behaviorally, dik-diks are highly nocturnal, and during the daytime seek shade to rest throughout the hottest parts of the day to help avoid the loss of valuable fluids.<ref name=source2 /> Dik-diks are also highly selective when browsing on succulents, herbs, and foliage as to maximize fluid acquisition.<ref name="sou rce1"/> The hind legs of Kirk's dik-diks are longer and are structurally more uniform, than the fore legs.<ref name=source8 /> Hopwood 1936 suggests this helps the hind legs propel the dik-dik forward, as the relatively short fore legs of dik-diks are more efficient at ascending broken terrain.<ref name=source8 />

== Habitat and territoriality ==
[[File:Dikdik.jpg|thumb|Females, [[Etosha National Park]], [[Namibia]]]]
Kirk's dik-dik are endemic to [[savannah]] areas of eastern and southwestern Africa, occurring primarily in the Somali and Southwest arid biotic zones, but encroaching into the Southern savannah biotic zone.<ref name=source8 /> Their distribution can be described as discontinuous and as a result they often occur in dispersed patches due to their unique habitat requirements.<ref name=source8 /> In Namibia, Kirk's dik-dik occur in isolated areas along the [[Fish River (Namibia)|Fish River]] and do not reside in the Namib desert, though they may traverse desert thickets along sources of water.<ref name=source8 /> They prefer habitats with good cover but lacking tall vegetation.<ref name=source3 /> Ideal habitats contain a variety of browse, extensive shade, and an open understory at their eye level.<ref name=source8 /> (Tinley, 1969)  As a result, they move to different ranges when grass grows too high and obstructs their view.<ref name=source3 /> 

Typical habitats of Kirk's dik-dik consist of thicket mosaics characterized by well-developed shrub layers and scant short grass cover.<ref name=source8 /> Dik-diks live in pairs on territories of 2–86 acres, depending on cover and resources.<ref name="sou rce1"/> If no unfavorable events occur a pair of Kirk's dik-dik may reside within the same territory for life.<ref name="source6">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Madoqua_kirkii.html|title=Kirk's dik-dik|website=www.ultimateungulate.com}}</ref> Males are the main defenders of territories, as females are unable to maintain territories themselves.<ref name=source8 /> (Kingdon 1982) According to MacDonald (1985), territorial conflicts over quality habitat are not frequent, however, when do they occur, males charge one another, stopping just short of physical contact, before repeating the process by running from a longer distance.<ref name=source8 /> Furthermore, the encounter ends when one male surrenders, which results in both males scratching at the ground, urinating, and defecating".<ref name=source8 />

== Diet ==
Dik-dik are [[herbivorous]] and their diets consist mainly of foliage, fruits, shoots, and berries.<ref name=source2 /> Due to their adaptations, dik-diks are water-independent and rely on vegetation as a source of water.<ref name=source2 /> Kirk's dik-diks are concentrate selectors, feeding selectively on dicotyledonous plants that can be rapidly fermented and digested. This includes leaves and fruit high in nutrients and water, but low in fiber and cellulose.  Grasses are only consumed when they are germinating and Kirk's dik-diks have stomach capacities and mass that consist of 8.5–10.0% of body mass when full and 2.2% when empty".<ref name=source8 /> Because of the aforementioned facts and their high food requirements, Kirk's dik-diks feed and ruminate periodically throughout day and night.<ref name=source8 /> They consume roughly 3.8% of their body mass daily.<ref name=source8 />

== Reproduction and behavior ==
Similar to other dwarf antelopes, Kirk's dik-diks exist in [[Monogamy in animals|monogamous]] pairs on territories.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Territories are marked with dung and urine that are deposited in a ritual that is performed to help maintain [[pair bond]]s.<ref name="sou rce1"/> During the ritual, the female will excrete, followed by the male, which samples the female's urine stream to check her reproductive capacity.<ref name="sou rce1"/> He paws over and then marks his dung and urine over her deposit.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Finally, the pair marks nearby twigs with secretions from their preorbital glands.<ref name="sou rce1"/> The male courts the female by running up behind her with his head and neck stretched and his muzzle pointing out in front. [[copulation (zoology)|Copulation]] begins with the male standing on his hind legs behind the female and waving his forelegs at an acute angle to his own body in the air over her back".<ref name=source8 /> Copulation typically occurs three to five times within a 9-hour period.<ref name=source8 />

Kirk's dik-diks have a [[gestation]] period of 5–6 months, and may produce up to two [[offspring]] per year.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Females reach sexual maturity between 6 and 8 months of age, while this occurs for males between 8 and 9 months.<ref name=source6 /> Dik-diks produce one offspring per gestation.<ref name="sou rce1"/> Most births occur between November and December and April through May, which coincides with the timing of the rainy seasons.<ref name=source8 /> Dik-diks differ from other ruminants in that offspring are born with their fore legs along the body, rather than extended forward.<ref name=source8 /> After birth, the offspring lie concealed away from their mother 2–3 weeks, and survival rates for fawns are roughly 50%.<ref name=source8 /><ref name=source6 /> Once offspring reach a certain age, they also begin to participate in the bonding ritual, and remain with the parents until another offspring is born.<ref name="sou rce1"/> At this point, the parents chase the older sibling out of their territory.<ref name=source2 /> The older offspring then seeks out its own territory and mate.<ref name="sou rce1"/>

== Genetics ==
Dik-diks in general have complex chromosomal arrangements.<ref name=source7 /> They typically have 2n=46 to 2n=48 arrangements; however,  dik-diks with 2n=49 have been discovered, as well.<ref name="source7">{{cite web|url=http://placentation.ucsd.edu/dik.html|title=Comparative Placentation}}</ref> Furthermore, some have 47 chromosomes with X/A translocation.<ref name=source7 /> The two common cytotypes (46- and 48-chromosome individuals) are different enough so that resulting hybrids are sterile.<ref name=source7 /> Many zoos are now known to harbor hybrids between different cytotypes, with anomalous chromosome numbers and causing unexplained sterility.<ref name=source7 /> Examination of these individuals shows a lack of spermatogenesis in males, for example hybrids between Kirk's and Guenther's dik-diks are infertile.<ref name=source7 />

== Predators ==
Dik-diks are susceptible to a myriad of predators including [[eagle]]s, [[wildcat]]s, [[jackal]]s, [[caracal]]s, [[leopard]]s, [[hyena]]s, [[cheetah]]s, [[Cape wild dog]]s, [[honey badger]]s, [[crocodile]]s, [[Python (genus)|pythons]], [[lion]]s, [[Monitor lizard|monitors]], and [[human]]s.<ref name="sou rce1"/><ref name=source2 /><ref name=source6 /> Young dik-diks are particularly preyed upon by baboons, genets, and eagles. Dik-diks have fine-tuned senses of hearing, sight, and smell. When they feel in danger or hear the alarm calls of other animals, they hide, rather than flee. Only when frightened or disturbed do they emit their iconic "zik-zik" alarm.

== Human impacts and interactions ==
[[Human]]s are the greatest threat to dik-diks, which are sometimes hunted for their hides and bones, often using snares.<ref name="source3">{{cite web|url=http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/dik-dik|title=Dik-Dik|work=African Wildlife Foundation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220042437/https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/dik-dik |archive-date= Feb 20, 2024 }}</ref> The bones from their legs and feet are used in traditional jewelry, while their hides are fashioned into suede gloves.<ref name=source3 /> An entire dik-dik hide is required to produce a single glove.<ref name=source8 /> Nowak (1991) asserted that dik-dik are disliked by local hunters because they flush and warn larger game to the presence of humans.<ref name=source8 /> Dik-diks also benefit from the destruction of vegetation via human-mediated slash-and-burn agriculture that results in the subsequent secondary growth of shrubs that serve as a food source and place of refuge for dik-diks.<ref name=source8 /> The IUCN Redlist lists Kirk's dik-dik as "least concern".<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />

==Subspecies==
Usually, four subspecies of Kirk's dik-dik are distinguished, but they may represent three or more distinct species:<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Grubb|id=14200596}}</ref> 
* ''M. k. kirkii'' <small>[[Albert Günther|Günther, 1880]]</small>
* ''M. k. cavendishi'' <small>[[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1898</small> – Cavendish's dik-dik
* ''M. k. damarensis'' <small>Günther, 1880</small> – Damara dik-dik
* ''M. k. hindei'' <small>Thomas, 1898</small>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Damara Dik-Dik.JPG|''M. k. damarensis''<br/>female, [[Etosha National Park]], [[Namibia]]
File:Dikdik Looking.JPG|Juvenile
File:Dik-Dik, family, Lake Manyara.jpg|Family, [[Lake Manyara]], [[Tanzania]]
File:Madoqua kirkii.jpg|Male, [[Etosha]], [[Namibia]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Commons category|Madoqua kirkii}}
{{Wikispecies|Madoqua kirkii}}
{{Reflist}}
*''Animal'', Smithsonian Institution, 2005, pg. 253

{{Artiodactyla|R.5}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q833607}}

[[Category:Madoqua|Kirk's dik-dik]]
[[Category:Mammals of Angola]]
[[Category:Mammals of Namibia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Kenya]]
[[Category:Mammals of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Mammals of Somalia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Uganda]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1880|Kirk's dik-dik]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Albert Günther|Kirk's dik-dik]]