Madoqua saltiana

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Cladus: Scrotifera
Cladus: Ferungulata
Cladus: Euungulata
Ordo: Artiodactyla
Cladus: Artiofabula
Cladus: Cetruminantia
Subordo: Ruminantia
Cladus: Pecora
Superfamilia: Bovoidea

Familia: Bovidae
Subfamilia: Antilopinae
Genus: Madoqua
Species:Madoqua saltiana
Subspecies: M. s. hararensis – M. s. lawrancei – M. s. phillipsi – M. s. saltiana – M. s. swaynei
Name

Madoqua saltiana (de Blainville, 1816)
See comment in Wilson & Reeder (2005) about citing: (Desmarest, 1816).
References

Madoqua saltiana in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
IUCN: Madoqua saltiana (de Blainville, 1816) (Least Concern)
Madoqua saltiana (Desmarest, 1816) – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Vernacular names
English: Salt's Dik-dik
español: Dikdik de Phillips
suomi: Dikdikantilooppi
magyar: Salt-dikdik
polski: Dikdik

Salt's dik-dik (Madoqua saltiana) is a small antelope found in semidesert, bushland, and thickets in the Horn of Africa, but marginally also in northern Kenya and eastern Sudan.[1] It is named after Henry Salt, who was the first European to acknowledge the species in Abyssinia in the early 19th century.[2][3]
Description

Salt's dik-diks are 52–67 cm (20–26 in) long, 33–41 cm (13–16 in) high, and weigh 2.5–4.0 kg (5.5–8.8 lb).[4] As in other dik-diks, the small, pointed horns are only present in the male.[5] Their colour varies significantly depending on the subspecies.
Taxonomy

Together with the closely related silver dik-dik, this species forms the subgenus Madoqua in the genus Madoqua (other dik-diks are also in the genus Madoqua, but the subgenus Rhynchotragus).[6][7] The taxonomy of this subgenus is complex and a matter of dispute. Today, the most widely used treatment is based on a review in 1978,[8][9] but a significantly different treatment was presented in a review in 1972.[6] Following the review in 1978, the silver dik-dik is treated as a separate monotypic species, and Salt's dik-dik has five subspecies:[4][9]

M. s. saltiana is found from northern Ethiopia to Eritrea and far eastern Sudan, and is relatively large with a reddish-grey back.
M. s. hararensis is found in the Hararghe region in eastern Ethiopia, and has a gingery back and dark red flanks.
M. s. lawrenci is found in eastern and southeastern Somalia, and has a silvery back and russet flanks.
M. s. phillipsi is found in Somaliland, and its back is grey and flanks are orange.
M. s. swaynei is found in the Jubba Valley region of southern Ethiopia, southern Somalia, and far northern Kenya; its back is brown-grey.

In 2003, each of the above was proposed to represent an evolutionary species,[10] but at present, most maintain them as subspecies.[1][9] The review in 1972 differed significantly from the above. Under that treatment, three species are recognized in the subgenus Madoqua: Salt's sik-dik (M. saltiana with the subspecies saltiana and cordeauxi), Phillip's dik-dik (M. phillipsi with the subspecies phillipsi, gubanensis, hararensis, and lawrencei), and Swayne's dik-dik (M. swaynei with the subspecies swaynei, erlangeri, and piancentinii).[6] Of these taxa, M. s. cordeauxi, M. p. gubanensis, and M. p. erlangeri were considered entirely invalid in 1978.[8]
Behavior

Salt's dik-diks are shy animals. They are active at night and dusk to avoid the midday heat, and are considered crepuscular. Dominant dik-diks flare their crests. The animals are most often found in pairs and small groups, and Salt's dik-diks mainly eat leaves and shoots of acacia trees. Due to ecological factors, Salt's dik-diks have a considerably lower basal metabolic rate than other ruminants that inhabit temperate and cold climates.[11]
Reproduction

The gestation period lasts approximately 150 –180 days. Female dik-diks give birth to 1 cub twice a year. The newborn is hidden in the nesting area for at least 2–3 weeks. After 1 week, an infant is able to eat solid food. However, it continues to nurse for 3–4 months. After the first month of life, young males begin to grow their horns. Salt's dik-dik reaches adult size after 8 months and stops growing completely after 12 months. As soon as the young dik-dik reaches sexual maturity (6–9 months), it establishes a territory with a mate.[12]
References

IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2016). "Madoqua saltiana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T12668A50190537. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T12668A50190537.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
"Salt Dik-dik - Big Game Hunting Records - Safari Club International Online Record Book". www.scirecordbook.org. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
"Book Details". www.abebooks.com. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
Kingdon, J. (1997). The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-408355-2
Haltenorth, T., and H. Diller (1980). Mammals of Africa Including Madagascar. HarperCollins. ISBN 0 00 219778 2
Ansell, W. F. H. (1972). Order Artiodactyla. Part 15. Pp. 1-84. in: Meester, J., and H. W. Setzer, eds (1972). The mammals of Africa: An identification manualSmithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Yalden, D. (1978). A revision of the dik-diks of the subgenus Madoqua (Madoqua). Monitore Zoologico Italiano, n.s. suppl. 11: 245-264.
Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Cotterill, F. P. D. 2003. Species concepts and the real diversity of antelopes. in: Plowman, A., eds (2003). Proceedings of the Ecology and Conservation of Mini-antelope: An International Symposium on Duiker and Dwarf Antelope in Africa. Filander Verlag: Füürth. pp. 59-118.
Dittmann, Marie T.; Hebel, Christiana; Hammer, Sven; Hummel, Jürgen; Ortmann, Sylvia; Arif, Abdi; Bouts, Tim; Kreuzer, Michael; Clauss, Marcus (2014-01-01). "Energy requirements and metabolism of the Phillip's dikdik (Madoqua saltiana phillipsi)" (PDF). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 167: 45–51. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2013.09.014. ISSN 1095-6433. PMID 24095724.
CASTELLÓ, José R. BOVIDS OF THE WORLD: Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives. Princeton University Press, 2016, pp 216–217. ISBN 978-0-691-16717-6.