This site was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Biology 323, Animal Behavior, at Davidson College in the Spring Semester 2006.
General Information
Permission for photo pending from Duke University Primate Center
http://primatecenter.duke.edu/animals/lesserbushbaby/general.jpg
Scientific Name: Galago moholi
Common Names: Mohol, South African lesser Galago
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Promsimii
Family: Lorisdae
Genus: Galago
Species: Moholi
The lesser bushbaby, Galago Moholi, is smaller than a squirrel and has big, pointed ears. It weighs 150-200 grams and is the commonest bushbaby. It has a short, thin-haired coat that is light gray on its head and neck, yellow on its arms and thighs, brown on its face, and white around its eyes and nose bridge (Estes, 1991). The lesser bushbabies’ cries that sound like a human baby and its small appearance contribute to its name "bush baby" (African Wildlife Federation, 2006). The lesser bushbaby's life span is sixteen years ( Duke Primate Center, 2006). It is vulnerable to avian and arboreal predators (Estes, 1991).
Many of the lesser bushbaby's physical features correlate with its behaviors. Lesser bushbabies have large, round eyes that give them excellent night vision. Lesser bushbabies have big ears similar to a bat's ears that allows them to hunt insects (African Wildlife Federation, 2006). The lesser bushbaby has prehensile hands and feet that allow it to grasp things. It has special friction pads on its hands and feet that help it to grip trees (Center for Conservation of Specialized Species, 2006).The lesser bushbaby moves in literal "leaps and bounds" from tree to tree. Lesser bushbabies can cover 10 yards in a few seconds and can leap more than 20 feet (African Wildlife Federation, 2006). On the ground the lesser bushbaby usually travels by hopping like a kangaroo on its two feet. Occasionally it travels quadrupedally on the ground ( Duke Primate Center, 2006). The lesser bushbaby is also well known for its vertical jumping ability. Its jumping ability is due to a complex vastus muscle-tendon system. The jumping power comes from a combination of crouching and pushing-off (Aerts, 1998).
Lesser bushbabies are hard to observe in the wild because they are nocturnal, arboreal jumpers. The majority of information about lesser bushbaby behavior comes from studies done in captivity. However, these studies suggest that behavior observed in semi-natural conditions is consistent with behavior observed in the wild (Elrich et al., 1990).
Link to Lesser Bushbaby Homepage
Send comments and questions to lirogers@davidson.edu