Blue duikers (pronounced die-ker) are African antelopes standing 10 to 12 inches high and weighing 4 to 5 kg. (9 to 11 lbs.) when full-grown. The name duiker comes from the Dutch and means “diver”. Duikers dive under brush rather than bound over brush as other antelopes do. The blue duiker is the smallest of the sixteen species of duikers. The blue duiker is characterized with short legs, hunched backs and a wedge-shaped body all suitable for diving through brush and vegetation. The blue duiker’s dark brown color has a metallic blue sheen unlike other members of the duiker family. Being members of the antelope family, duikers have permanent horns, which are derived from skin. This characteristic distinguishes antelopes from deer in that deer have bony antlers derived from the skull that are shed annually. The blue duiker’s main protection from predators is their speed and ability to hide underneath cover. The eagle is a natural enemy of the blue duiker and can take an adult. The great horned owl is another enemy capable of taking a baby blue duiker. Blue duikers exist in isolated rain forests along South Africa’s east coast to as far south as Cape Province.

The scientific classification of the duiker is to the Bovidae family. Bovidae are a large family of cloven-hoof ruminants. A ruminant is an animal with four stomachs that chews cud. Sheep and cows are some of the more commonly known members of the bovine family.