
Dik-dik (Madoqua)
Any of four species of delicate African
antelope (genus
Madoqua), named for the sound it makes when alarmed. It stands 12–16 in. (30–40 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs 7–11 lbs (3–5 kg). It has an elongated snout and a soft coat that is gray or brownish above, white below. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft and may partially conceal the short, ringed horns of the male. Dik-diks live in dry areas of dense brush in southern and eastern Africa, and feed chiefly on acacia and other shrubs.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.