| Neotragus | |
|---|---|
| Royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Genus: | Neotragus Hamilton Smith, 1827 |
| Species | |
Neotragus is a genus of dwarf antelope, native to Africa. The genus includes only a single species without any dispute, namely Neotragus pygmaeus. Neotragus pygmaeus is the smallest antelope in the world, they usually weigh around 5 to 7 pounds.[1] This animal lives in conditions that are warm and moist, they are found in the tropical forests of Western Africa.[2] The Neotragus pygmaeus diet consists of high nutrients food sources, such as leaves, flowers, plants, fruits, and the growing tips of shoots.[3] Recent nucleic acid studies now suggest that the other two species formerly included in the genus are not closely related, and should be assigned to the genus Nesotragus. Members of the Nesotragus is closer related to the impala, while the royal antelope is a basal member of the duiker lineage.[4][5] [6]