Bushbaby - Greater
Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 8:58 am
The greater galagos or thick-tailed bushbabies are everyday names for three species of strepsirrhine primates. They are classified in the genus Otolemur in the family Galagidae.
The species is found in coastal regions of East Africa ranging from the Juba River in Somalia, through Mozambique and Tanzania down to the northern parts of South Africa and as far west as Angola. For the most part they live in woods but also in wooded grasslands and even city parks.
Galagos have large eyes that give them good night vision in addition to other characteristics, like strong hind limbs, acute hearing, and long tails that help them balance. Their ears are bat-like and allow them to track insects in the dark. They catch insects on the ground or snatch them out of the air. They are fast, agile creatures. As they bound through the thick bushes, they fold their delicate ears back to protect them. They also fold them during rest. They have nails on most of their digits, except for the second toe of the hind foot, which bears a grooming claw. Their diet is a mixture of insects and other small animals, fruit, and tree gums. They have pectinate (comb-like) incisors called toothcombs.
After a gestation period of 110–133 days, young galagos are born with half-closed eyes and are initially unable to move about independently. After a few (6–8) days, the mother carries the infant in her mouth, and places it on branches while feeding. Females may have singles, twins, or triplets, and may become very aggressive. Each newborn weighs less than half an ounce. For the first three days, the infant is kept in constant contact with the mother. The young are fed by the mother for six weeks and can feed themselves at two months. The young grow rapidly, often causing the mother to walk awkwardly as she transports them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galago
Interesting pic from Skukuza, Bushcraft 2009
The species is found in coastal regions of East Africa ranging from the Juba River in Somalia, through Mozambique and Tanzania down to the northern parts of South Africa and as far west as Angola. For the most part they live in woods but also in wooded grasslands and even city parks.
Galagos have large eyes that give them good night vision in addition to other characteristics, like strong hind limbs, acute hearing, and long tails that help them balance. Their ears are bat-like and allow them to track insects in the dark. They catch insects on the ground or snatch them out of the air. They are fast, agile creatures. As they bound through the thick bushes, they fold their delicate ears back to protect them. They also fold them during rest. They have nails on most of their digits, except for the second toe of the hind foot, which bears a grooming claw. Their diet is a mixture of insects and other small animals, fruit, and tree gums. They have pectinate (comb-like) incisors called toothcombs.
After a gestation period of 110–133 days, young galagos are born with half-closed eyes and are initially unable to move about independently. After a few (6–8) days, the mother carries the infant in her mouth, and places it on branches while feeding. Females may have singles, twins, or triplets, and may become very aggressive. Each newborn weighs less than half an ounce. For the first three days, the infant is kept in constant contact with the mother. The young are fed by the mother for six weeks and can feed themselves at two months. The young grow rapidly, often causing the mother to walk awkwardly as she transports them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galago
Interesting pic from Skukuza, Bushcraft 2009
