Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Galagonidae
Genus: Galago
Species: Galago senegalensis
Geographic Range
Bush babies occupy the forested and bush regions of Africa south of the Sahara. Their range also extends to some nearby islands, including Zanzibar.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (native ).
Habitat
Lesser bush babies are well-adapted to living in drier areas. They generally occupy the the savannah woodlands south of the Sahara and are excluded only from the southern tip of Africa.
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest .
Physical Description
Length of head and body = 130 cm. Length of tail = 15-41 cm.
The lesser bush baby has thick, woolly, rather long and wavy fur which is silvery gray to brown dorsally and slightly lighter underneath. They have large ears with four transverse ridges that can be independently or simultaneously bent back and wrinkled downward from the tips toward the base. The ends of the fingers and toes have flat disks of thickened skin, which aid in grasping tree limbs and slippery surfaces. Their tongues have a cartilaginous protuberance underneath the fleshy tongue (like a second tongue) which is used in conjunction with the front teeth in grooming. The tarsus of the galago is greatly elongated to 1/3 the length of the shinbone, which allows it to adopt the hopping gate of a kangaroo. Galagos also have a greatly increased muscle mass in the hind legs, which also enables it to perform large leaps.
Some key physical features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
The lesser bush baby breeds twice a year, once at the onset of rains in November and a second time during the end of rains in February. Females build a nest of leaves in which they bear and raise their young. Bush babies generally have one or two young per litter (rarely 3) which are born from April to November after a gestation period of 110-120 days. The young generally cling to the mothers fur in transport, or she may carry them about in her mouth by the napes of their necks. The mother also leaves young unattended in the nest while she forages. Young bush babies generally nurse for about three and a half months, although they can eat solid food at the end of the first month. Their life span is approximately 10 years in captivity, but is probably no longer than 3-4 years in the wild.
Key reproductive features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual .
Behavior
Bush babies are gregarious, arboreal, and nocturnal, sleeping by day in dense vegetation, tree forks, hollow trees, or old birds' nests. They generally sleep in groups of several individuals; they carry out their nocturnal activities, however, solitarily. If disturbed during the day, they may move very slowly, but at night they are active and agile, jumping as far as 3 to 5 meters in a single leap. On a level surface, bush babies hop like miniature kangaroos, but they generally locomote by leaping and climbing through the trees. They use urine to moisten their hands and feet, which is believed to help them hold onto branches and may also function in scent marking. Their call is described as a high-pitched, chirping note uttered most frequently in the morning and evening.
Key behaviors: motile .
Food Habits
Bush babies are nocturnal and arboreal feeders. Their favorite food is grasshoppers, but they will also consume small birds, eggs, fruits, seeds and flowers. They mainly feed on insects during the wet seasons, but during drought they feed solely on the gum that flows out of some of the trees in the acacia-dominated woodlands.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Because of its small size, large appealing eyes and general fluffiness, the Lesser bushbaby is often kept as a pet in Africa.
Conservation Status
The lesser bush baby is one of the more successful African prosimians. It has been studied quite extensively in South Africa.
It is listed on CITES Appendix II for most of its range, and Appendix III in Ghana.
Contributors
Liz Ballenger (author), University of Michigan: April, 2001.
References
Bourne, G.H. 1974. Primate odyssey. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York.
Freeman, D. 1977. The love of monkeys and apes. Octopus Books, London.
Walker, E.P. 1964. Mammals of the world. John Hopkins Press, Baltimore, MD.
