Galago senegalensis E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1796
Creators: name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Anthony B. Rylands
name: Don E. Wilson
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Primates
Galagidae
Galago
Galago senegalensis

description: 8.
Northern Lesser Galago
Galago senegalensis
French: Galago du Sénégal / German: Senegal-Galago / Spanish: Galago menor de Senegal
Other common names: Senegal Bushbaby, Senegal Galago; Ethiopia Lesser Galago (dunni), Kenya Lesser Galago (braccatus), Senegal Lesser Galago (senegalensis), Uganda Lesser Galago (sotikae)
Taxonomy. Galago senegalensis E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1796,
Senegal, French West Africa.
This polytypic species has a complex taxonomic history. Originally, only G. senegalensis was recognized, but it was subsequently split into seven species: G. gallarum, G. moholi, G. matschiei, G. grant, G. zanzibaricus, G. cocos, and G. nyasae (not recognized here, see G. grant: taxonomy section). All taxa are distinguished by a species-specific advertisement call. Because there is considerable variation within the widespread G. senegalensis, more cryptic species may occur within this taxon. Four subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
G. s. senegalensisE. GeoffroySaint-Hilaire, 1796 — limitsofitsdistributionarelittleknown, butitisfoundfromSenegaltoESudan (acrosstheWhiteNile), andStoEUganda (Karamojaregion), WKenya (MountElgon), andTanzania.
G. s. braccatusElliot, 1907 — highlandregionsofKenyaandNTanzania.
G. s. dunniDollman, 1910 — Eritrea, EEthiopia, andpossiblySomalia; theprecisedistributionisunknown.
G. s. sotikae Hollister, 1920 — Kenya, S Uganda, and Tanzania, along the S shores of Lake Victoria from Mwanza to Ankole.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 13-21 cm, tail 20-30 cm; weight 150-300 g (males) and 110-250 g (females). Sexes of the Northern Lesser Galago are similar in color, but males are 11% heavier than females. It has a broad head and short muzzle, with relatively short ears. Its tail is quite thin at the base but otherwise rather fluffy. Regional differences occur in coloration. Pelage is gray or brown-gray dorsally, with yellow tones on the outer surfaces of limbs and a pale underside. It has dark, complete eye-rings and a white interocular stripe. The nominate subspecies senegalensis is pure gray above, with a yellowish-white underside. Lower parts of the limbs are creamy-yellow, and the tail is gray-brown. The “Kenya Lesser Galago ” (G. s. braccatus) is generally gray to gray-brown, with contrasting yellow on undersides, legs, and rump. The tail is brown. The “Uganda Lesser Galago ” (G. s. sotikae) is a large taxon, described as more brownish-gray dorsally than other subspecies and with yellowish limbs. The “Ethiopia Lesser Galago ” (G. s. dunni) is a large subspecies with short ears. Its fur has a rather greenish sheen, and limbs are less bright yellow than in other East African forms.
Habitat. Acacia woodland, thorn scrub, wooded savanna, gallery forest, and forest edge. The Northern Lesser Galago prefers the lower forest levels. Dense grassy areas are avoided. It is found in all strata of savanna woodland (e.g. miombo), dense to open brushland areas, montane forest up to 2400 m above sea level, and secondary and highly fragmented forest and woodland, including cultivated areas. It is also found in forests where no other species of galagos occur.
Food and Feeding. The Northern Lesser Galago is a faunivore-frugivore that also specializes on eating gums of Acacia drepanolobium and A. xanthophloea (Fabaceae). It prefers the gum of A. drepanolobium, which has flavonoids that may have estrogenic effects and may be lower in tannins than other gums. Gum may serve as a key resource during the dry season. It supplements gum with animal prey, including insects (e.g. locusts) and lizards. Stomach contents of wild-caught individuals included mainly Coleoptera and Lepidoptera (caterpillars) but also spiders and scorpions. To a lesser degree, Northern Lesser Galagos eat seeds, fruits such as those of Balanites aegyptiacus (Zygophyllaceae), Tamarindus (Fabaceae), and Sclerocarya (Anacardiaceae), and nectar from the Baobab (Adansonia digitata, Malvaceae); they may be pollinators.
Breeding. Two mating and birth seasons occur per year. Battles between rival males are frequent during these times, with combatants rising up to face one another on their hindfeet, their arms outstretched, and teeth barred. Males box, grapple, and bite during antagonistic interactions. These maneuvers are mostly bluff, and actual injuries are rare. Mating lasts 7-12 minutes, and individuals have been observed to mate 22 times on thefirst day of estrus. Normally a single offspring is born (rarely twins), after gestation of 140-142 days. Females have a postpartum estrus; the vagina is closed except during the breeding season. Young are 19 g at birth and sparsely covered with fur; their abdomens are naked. While the mother is out in search of food, they are either left behind in the nest or carried along in her mouth. Weaning occurs at 70-100 days. Adult size is nearly attained by about four months, and sexual maturity occurs at 11-13 months. Individuals may live for up to 16 years.
Activity patterns. The Northern Lesser Galago is nocturnal and arboreal. Their locomotory pattern involves leaps between supports and resting, usually with the body in a relatively vertical position. They move at least 600 m/night. Individuals can cover open spaces of up to 50 m by bipedal hopping on the ground to move between foraging sites.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Northern Lesser Galago lives in large multimale-multifemale groups of up to nine members (usually 2-5) for much of the year. They are led by an alpha male. Several individuals will commonly sleep together by day. Their sleeping sites range from near the ground to 10 m up in the forest canopy and include tree holes in hollow rotten branches or boles, forks of trees, unoccupied man-made beehives with or without nest material, and self-constructed leaf nests, which they take 30 minutes to construct. They have been known to use wooden nest boxes placed for birds. During the mating season, groups break up into temporary breeding pairs that go off to live on their own. Individuals forage singly or in groups of up to three. The Northern Lesser Galago produces 18 different calls. The loud, low-pitched woo advertisement call is the most distinctive and species-specific.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List, including all four subspecies. It is widespread and relatively common and occurs in numerous protected areas in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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description: Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Galagidae, pp. 184-209 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 200-201, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6657019