Search This Blog

PitaPata Cat tickers

PitaPata Cat tickers

Jun 2, 2011

Dik-diks


Dik-diks live in Africa and are naamed for the sound they make when they run. Dik-diks are herbivvore, so their diet mainly consists of foilage, shoots, fruit,acacia trees, and berries.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dik-dik ) Dik-diks receive necsessary amounts of water from their food for hydration, making drinking unnecessary,which is kind of awesome! They are also nocturnal, so they avoid the heat of the day and any unnecessary water loss. They have four stomachs so, like cows, eat their puke.Dik-diks are hunted primarily by monitor lizards, smaller cats such as the caracal, as well as lions,hynas, wild dogs and humans. The dik-dik's other main predators are leopards, cheetahs, jackals baboons, eagles,hawks and pythons. They are able to escape them with their excellent eyesight and ability to reach speeds u p to26 miles an hour. The Dik-dik lives in grasslands of southern Africa. Dik-diks seek habitats with plentiful supply of edible plants such as shrubs, but prefer foilage that is not so tall as to obstruct their sight lines. They live in open plains amongst other grass-eaters such as giiraffes , zebras, and other antelopes.Dik-diks may live in places as varied as dense forest or open plain, but they must have good cover and not too much tall grass or plants.The Dik-dik also uses the small plants for food, and to hide from predators. They will move when the grass grows too tall for them to see over. They usually live in pairs over a 12 acre territory. The territories are often in low, shrubby bushes along dry, rocky streambeds where there are plenty of hiding places. Dik-diks can blend in with their surroundings, because of their dusty colored fur. Dik-diks have a series of runways through and around the borders of their territories to block off other Dik-diks.Female dik-diks are somewhat larger than males. The males have horns, which are about 3. in or 7.5 cm., slanted backwards and longitudinally grooved. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft that sometimes partially conceals the short, ringed horns of the male. The head of the dik-dik often seems disproportionate to the animal's small body. The upper body is grey-brown, while the lower parts of the body, including the legs, belly, crest, and flanks, are tan. A black spot below the inside corner of each eye contains a preorbital gland that produces a dark sticky secretion.
To prevent overheating while minimizing need for water, the dik-dik has evolved a particular cooling mechanism. Their elongated noses have bellow-like muscles by which blood is pumped. Airflow and subsequent evaporation cools this blood before it is recirculated to the body. However, this panting is only implemented in extreme conditions—dik-diks can tolerate temperatures of up to 104° Fahrenheit. Their nose holes are shaped like b's.Dik-diks stand 30–40 cm (approx. 12–16 inches) at the shoulder, are 50–70 cm (approx. 20-28 inches) long, weigh 3–6 kg (approx. 7-16 pounds) and can live for up to 10 years. Dik-diks are named for the alarm calls of the females, which make a dik-dik, or zik-zik sound. In addition to the female's alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill whistling sound. These calls often alert a variety of other animals to any disturbance in the area. MOSST OF THIS IS FROM WIKIPEDIA.COM :-) :-) :-)!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment