The Suni (''Nesotragus moschatus'') is a small antelope. It occurs in dense underbrush from central

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

to KwaZulu-Natal in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. Suni are around high at the shoulder and weigh . They are usually reddish brown, darker on their back than their sides and legs. The belly, chin, throat and insides of legs are white. The nostrils are prominent red, and there are black rings around the eyes and above the hooves. Males have horns long, that are ridged most of their length and curve backwards close to their heads. Females do not have horns. Suni can make weak barking and whistling sounds. Suni feed on leaves, fungi, fruits and flowers, and need almost no free water. They are shy, most active at night, and sleep during the day in a shady, sheltered area. They are social but males defend a territory of about three hectares. They scent-mark the boundaries with secretions from their preorbital glands. There may be an individual or communal dung pile on the periphery of the territory. A male usually takes one mate, but other females may share his territory. A single calf is born weighing about two pounds, after a gestation of 183 days.

Felids Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the dom ...

, raptors,

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

s, and other meat-eaters prey on suni. For protection, they are well

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

d in dry grass and keep very still. When a predator is almost on top of them, they spring out and bound away into the underbrush.

Taxonomy and etymology

The scientific name of the suni is ''Nesotragus moschatus''. It is placed in the genus '' Nesotragus'' - along with (formerly) Bates's pygmy antelope (''Nesotragus batesi'') - and in the family

Bovidae The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, t ...

. The common name "suni" is the name for this antelope in southeastern Africa. Four subspecies are identified, though these are sometimes considered to be independent species: *''N. m. kirchenpaueri'' (Pagenstecher, 1885) *''N. m. livingstonianus'' (Kirk, 1865) *''N. m. moschatus'' (Von Dueben, 1846) *''N. m. zuluensis'' (

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

, 1898)

Description

The suni is a small antelope, but larger than the other two species of its genus. This antelope resembles Bates's pygmy antelope in terms of

cranial Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

measurements. The suni stands at the shoulder; the head-and-body length is typically between . Both sexes weigh between . Horns are present only on males;

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

in the suni is less marked than in Bates's pygmy antelope.

Threats and conservation

Populations of the suni have been notably reduced due to poaching, habitat loss and predation by dogs - especially in South Africa, where it is confined mainly to the northeastern KwaZulu-Natal. Nevertheless, the antelope is known for its tolerance to heavy hunting pressure, and is listed as a species of Least Concern.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q657984 Dwarf antelopes Mammals of Kenya Mammals of South Africa Fauna of East Africa Mammals of Zimbabwe Mammals of Malawi Mammals of Mozambique Mammals of Tanzania Mammals described in 1846