Cephalophus niger

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CETARTIODACTYLA	BOVIDAE

Scientific Name:

Cephalophus niger

Species Authority:

Gray, 1846

Common Name/s:

English

–

Black Duiker

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group
Reviewer/s:	Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Least Concern as it remains widespread within its historical range and reasonably common, adapting well to modified habitats and showing resiliency to hunting pressure. Its long-term survival will probably depend on the protection of viable populations within parks and reserves and/or management of sustainable offtake from areas set aside for bushmeat production. If current trends continue, including a complete lack of effective protection and management over most of its range, its status will eventually decline to threatened.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Black Duiker ranges in forested and formerly forested areas from south-western Guinea eastwards through Sierra Leone to the Niger River (East 1999; Wilson 2001; Kingdon and Hoffmann in press). There are no confirmed records from Benin or from Burkina Faso (East 1999), and no indication that the species has ever occurred east of the Niger River (Kingdon and Hoffmann in press).
Countries:	Native: Côte d'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra Leone; Togo
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is particularly common and successful in the central parts of its range, from Liberia to Ghana, but is rare or declining both east and west of this heartland. East (1999), assuming average population densities of 2.0/km² where it is known to be common/abundant and 0.2/km² elsewhere, produced an estimated total population of about 100,000. The population trend is probably gradually downwards over large parts of its range.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

It is particularly common and successful in the central parts of its range, from Liberia to Ghana, but is rare or declining both east and west of this heartland. East (1999), assuming average population densities of 2.0/km² where it is known to be common/abundant and 0.2/km² elsewhere, produced an estimated total population of about 100,000. The population trend is probably gradually downwards over large parts of its range.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The Black Duiker inhabits lowland rainforests of West Africa, the edge of primary forest, gallery forests, thicket, and riverine and deciduous forest patches within savannas. Black Duikers adapt quite well to a range of modified habitats throughout its range, including logged forest, secondary forest and farm bush, and it is among the most successful antelopes in colonizing farm-bush, and even (rarely) plantations (East 1999; Kingdon and Hoffmann in press).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

The Black Duiker inhabits lowland rainforests of West Africa, the edge of primary forest, gallery forests, thicket, and riverine and deciduous forest patches within savannas. Black Duikers adapt quite well to a range of modified habitats throughout its range, including logged forest, secondary forest and farm bush, and it is among the most successful antelopes in colonizing farm-bush, and even (rarely) plantations (East 1999; Kingdon and Hoffmann in press).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Its adaptability to degraded and secondary forests and farm bush have enabled it to withstand the advance of settlement better than other medium-sized forest duiker species in West Africa and it still occurs quite widely within its historical range. Although it is a common component of bushmeat, it shows resilience to hunting and remains locally common. Given this, it is likely to persist in substantial numbers for considerably longer than most other medium-sized and large duiker species in West Africa. Nevertheless, it has already disappeared from the more densely settled parts of its former range (East 1999).

Major Threat(s):

Its adaptability to degraded and secondary forests and farm bush have enabled it to withstand the advance of settlement better than other medium-sized forest duiker species in West Africa and it still occurs quite widely within its historical range. Although it is a common component of bushmeat, it shows resilience to hunting and remains locally common. Given this, it is likely to persist in substantial numbers for considerably longer than most other medium-sized and large duiker species in West Africa. Nevertheless, it has already disappeared from the more densely settled parts of its former range (East 1999).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The Black Duiker occurs in several protected areas, such as Sapo N.P. (Liberia), Western Area F.R. (Sierra Leone), Taï N. P. and Comoé N. P. (Côte d’Ivoire) and Bia, Nini-Suhien and Kakum National Parks (Ghana) (East 1999; Kingdon and Hoffmann in press).

Conservation Actions:

The Black Duiker occurs in several protected areas, such as Sapo N.P. (Liberia), Western Area F.R. (Sierra Leone), Taï N. P. and Comoé N. P. (Côte d’Ivoire) and Bia, Nini-Suhien and Kakum National Parks (Ghana) (East 1999; Kingdon and Hoffmann in press).

Citation:	IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2008. Cephalophus niger. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 18 May 2013.
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