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Social Relationships of the Dikdik

Image taken from Petr E. Komers

Mating System

Within these family groups, dikdiks practice obligate monogamy. In their study on African mammalian species, Bergen and Stevens defined monogamy as when "one individual mates exclusively with a signle individual from the opoposite sex" (1996). Obligate monogamy exist when both parents are necessary for survival of the young. There has been much debate about whether 'true monogamy' is practiced by the dikdik or if it does so due to a lack of females. Many expect competitive males to seek out new partners if biparental care is not necessary. They feel that dikdiks would engage in extra-pair copulations (EPC) and that extra-pair parenting (EPP) would occur if the animals were provided the opportunity. All recent studies reveal that dikdiks are in fact obligately monogamous even though there is not a strong presence of paternal care. Adult males have been spotted grooming their young for a short while, but their main responsibility is to defend the territory for the female and the offspring. There has been no evidence of EPC among dikdik species, even when single females are around. Males possess the energy to defend resources for two females, but choose not to do so. Males spend most of their time with the female making sure that other males do not try and steal her away. Female dikdiks did not appear to mate with neighboring males. Researchers like Peter N. Brotherton and Petr E. Komer suggest that females refused EPP in order to avoid conflict between their male partners and the extra-pair males (Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 1997).

Why? Overall, adult males and females sharing a pair bond are very close. It is much easier for the male to take care of one female because females are so scattered over the area. It would be too time-consuming and an energy waste to try and provide resources for two females. There are no male/male and female/female relationships among dikdik species. There is, however, strong competition among males for the chance to mate with a particular female. Ultimately, the female decides who she wants to mate with after observing their dominance displays.

Females mature earlier than males and are ready to calve at the age of fifteen to eighteen months. After giving birth, they quickly come into oestrus again within twelve days. Because of their highly selective diets, female dikdiks are able to gestate and lactate simultaneously. Gestation lasts for approximately twenty-five weeks so two offspring are usually produced per year. Once the mother delivers the young, she eats the afterbirth in order to prevent attack from predators that might smell the young's fresh new scent.

Mothers are most responsible for caring for the young, but do not spend long periods of time with the immature dikdiks. She and her mate spend more time feeding and bringing food back to the young until they are able to seek food for themselves. Females nurture their young by suckling them, sniffing, and licking them anogenitally. After a few minutes, the mother carries the young off to a new hiding place on the territory. Changing locations is another antipredatory tactic because it keeps the predators guessing about where the offspring are located. The father sometimes participates in caring for the young by grooming them, but his main task is to defend the territory. The male/female relationships are much stronger than the parent/offspring relationships. Adult partners spend much more time together.

Once the offspring become mature individuals, they are kicked out of the family group in order to form their own pair bonds and hopefully establish new territories. Usually the adult male becomes aggressive towards his son when he senses that the young male is no longer being submissive to him or when begins expressing sexual feelings for the mother. Males want as little competition around them as possible. The daughter is most often dismissed by the mother. It is very difficult to establish new territories because there is little space available for new dikdiks. Most young end up taking over territories where the resident mate has died or they die before they get their own land.