A notable feature of this duiker is the well-pronounced solid stripe of black extending from the back of the head to the tail.

It mainly prefers fruits, but may also feed on animal matter such as bird eggs.

[4] The specific name dorsalis is a Latin word referring to the back surface of an object.

[5] The common name "duiker" comes from the Afrikaans word duik, or Dutch dūken (both mean "diver")[6] owing to the tendency of this antelope to seek cover in bushes.

[9] In 2012, Anne R. Johnston (of the University of Orleans) and colleagues constructed a cladogram of the subfamily Cephalophinae (duiker) based on mitochondrial analysis.

[13] Hence, sexual dimorphism in this species is not as remarkable as in other bovids, though females are often larger than males.

Rowland Ward, however, recorded a maximum horn length of 12.3 centimetres (4.8 in) from Yokadouma (Cameroon).

A notable feature of this duiker is the well-pronounced solid stripe of black extending from the back of the head to the tail.

[8] Due to its nocturnal nature, the bay duiker has large conspicuous eyes.

The patches of white fur around the whiskers are in sharp contrast to the dark reddish face.

[13] Juveniles have a dark coat, that develops the stripes and chestnut to reddish-brown color gradually.

[8] Additionally, the body posture and horn characteristics of the two species differ to a large extent.

It depends heavily on its sense of smell for foraging and detecting potential danger.

Other fruits the duiker may eat are those of Ricinodendron heudelotii and oil-palms, the orange ones of Chrysophyllum beguei, the olive-like ones of Pseudospondias longifolia, the green plums of Panda oleosa and those of Cola rostrata, that resemble cocoa pods.

The bay duiker extracts the pulp from the seeds, making a grating sound.

[13] A 1989 study found that the soft seeds of plants such as Drypetes gossweileri, Staudtia gabonensis, Dacryoides buettneri, Ongokea gore, Santiria trimera, Annonidium mannii and Pentaclethra macrophylla are preferred.

[17] There have been reports of the bay duiker preying on birds (without feeding on the legs and wings) and the embryo of unhatched eggs, carrion, remains of African porcupines and kusimanses, termites, beetles and ants.

[13] A study in Gabon recorded birth peaks before or during maximum abundance of fruits.

[8] This duiker formerly occurred in the lowland forested areas (warm, moist rainforests) of Guinea.

[14] The bay duiker is native to several countries in western and southern Africa: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

[3] In 1999, Rod East of the IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group estimated the total population at 725,000.

[1] The most significant population occurs only in the Taï National Park (Côte d'Ivoire).