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 The
Senegal Galago, or the lesser bush baby, is a small (130mm and 95-300
grams) nocturnal primate. They are agile leapers, and live in dry woodland
regions and savannah regions of Africa south of the Sahara. They have
woolly thick fur that ranges from silvery grey to dark brown. They have
large eyes, strong hind limbs, and long tails, which help them balance.
Their ears are made up of four segments that can bend back individually,
to aid their hearing when hunting insects at night. Their omnivorous diet
is a mixture of other small animals, including birds and insects, fruit,
seeds, flowers, eggs, nuts, and tree gums.
They are polygynous, and the females raise their young in nests made from
leaves. They have 1-2 babies per litter, with gestation period being 110–120
days. Bush babies are born with half-closed eyes, unable to move about
independently. After a few days, the mother carries the infant in her
mouth, and leaves it on convenient branches while feeding. At the end
of the night, group members use a special rallying call and gather to
sleep in a nest made of leaves, in a group of branches, or in a hole in
a tree. Their potential predators include mongooses, genets, jackals,
domestic cats and dogs, raptors (especially owls), and snakes. In addition,
several primates, including humans, Grey-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys,
and chimpanzees, who have constructed spears, sometimes prey on bushbabies.
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The
Senegal Galago
- Issue Eleven