Why the Elongated Nose?

This little animal weighs in at a mere 12 pounds, and it little more than a foot tall at the shoulder. They are dwarf antelopes. They are the Dik-dik of East and Southwest Africa.

They live in heavy vegetation, where they can hide, and they mark their territory with their feces. Why the elongated, tubular nose? It makes for a great snorkel. But no one has told the dik-dik that. Instead, they use the extra blood vessels and mucous membrane in said nose to survive the heat of the brush in which they abide. So, why the long nose? All the better to dissipate excess heat, my dear.

Thanks for the Dik-dik, Coralie.