Galago senegalensis
Senegal galago

Bush babies occupy the forested and bush regions of Africa south of the Sahara. Their range also extends to some nearby islands, including Zanzibar.

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.

Average length of Galago senegalensis is 130 mm. Tail length varies between 15 and 41 mm. Members of the genus weigh between 95 and 300 g.

Galago sensgalensis has thick, woolly, rather long and wavy fur which is silvery gray to brown dorsally and slightly lighter underneath. Ears are large, 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 galagos is greatly elongated to 1/3 the length of the shinbone, which allows these animals to adopt the hopping gate of a kangaroo. Galagos also have a greatly increased muscle mass in the hind legs, which also enables them to perform large leaps.

Their life span is approximately 10 years in captivity, but is probably no longer than 3 to 4 years in the wild.

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.

Home Range

In the genus Galago, males typically have larger home ranges than females. A dominant male's home range may overlap those of several females.

Communication in all galagos involves a variety of modalities.

Visual communication, such as body posture, is used between conspecifics. These animals are also known to have a variety of facial expressions to communicate emotional states, such as aggression, affiliation, and fear.

Urinating on hands before walking, while improving grip, also allows the animals to mark their territories with scents.

Tactile communication, in play, aggression, and grooming, is an important part of the lives of bush babies. Tactile communication is especially important between a mother and her offspring, as well as between mates.

Finally, bush babies are known to use vocal communication with one another. Alarm calls, fear calls, aggressive calls, and contact calls are common. In fact, the common name for these animals derives from the similarity between some of their calls and the crying of human babies.

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.

Predation on galagos certainly occurs, although details are lacking. Likely predators include small cats, snakes, and owls. Bush babies are known to escape from predators by leaping through the trees. They use alarm calls to alert conspecifics of danger, and some species in the genus Galago have been known to mob smaller predators.

As insect predators, these animals probably help to control populations of their prey. They may also aid in dispersal of seeds through their frugivory. As a potential prey species, they may affect predator populations.

These creatures are not known to have any negative impacts on human economies.

Because of its small size, large appealing eyes and general fluffiness, lesser bushbabies are often kept as pets in Africa.

Lesser bush babies are one of the more successful African prosimians. They have been studied quite extensively in South Africa.

Galago senegalensis is listed on CITES Appendix II for most of its range, and Appendix III in Ghana.