the Galagos is the most lively and most affectionate semi-monkeys in captivity. they are relative with the so absolutely different Loris (Lorisidae). The night-active Galagos screech like crying infants at night what earned them also the name "Bush-babies."
There are 6 quite different types: the Riesengalago (Galago crassicaudatus), that as the actual bush-baby of confessed Senegal or Steppengalago (G). senegalensis, the Allen or Buschwaldgalago, G. alleni, the dwarf or Urwaldgalago, G. demidovii, as well as the western Kielnagelgalago (G). elegantulus, and eastern Kielnagelgalago, G. inustus.
Shape Galagos are mouse - until cat-big. they have like the madegassischen Lemuren of a more or less dog-nicely moving out one, pointed muzzle and big eyes and ears. The bare ones and häutigen ears are innocence-pure. The eyes can be narrowed to a vertical split during the day. Galagos are capable to pick up ultrasound-sounds.
The arms are shorter than the legs, that are tarsus, extended like with the Mausmaki and with the Koboldmaki. Fingers and toes carry flat flat-nails. Only the nail of the 2. Toe is changed to a finery-claw. The Kielnagelgalagos, that sharpen as peculiarity, do an exception from this, flat nails show, that big, with exception of thumbs and and 2. Toe, in the middle of one strengthens, very wide longitudinal-keel has. The fingers and toes are abspreizbar far.
All Galagos have a soft, dense and fleecy fur.
Habitat The 4 Galagoarten populate different habitats:
The Riesengalago lives in the forest like in the open savanna as well. it populates it gallery - and the rain-forest and is to be found in the mountain-forests up to 3500 m of height. Also in the bamboo-thicket and in the bush-forest and near the human being, as in plantations and gardens, this big Galago settled.
it far over Africa of spread Senegalgalago prefers rather dry areas, as savanna and bush-forest, to find also in the gallery-forest, however, is. it populates the mountain-forest as far as to a height of 2000 m.
The Buschwaldgalago prefers terrains with low Strauchbewuchs. it is more frequent than the other types to like about the ground.
The Zwerggalago finally lives in all moist forest-types and lives in the proximity of human settlements, so also in sterns or at street-edges of the forest-areas, also like the Riesengalago.
The Kielnagelgalagos live in different areas in central-Africa as far as to a height of 1000 m.
Locomotion Galagos climb and jump extremely sent. they have like the frogs of spread fingers and can hold well also after a 7 m wide jump. Galagos jump off from a vertical position after type of the Koboldmakis and Sifakas. The extended tarsi serve as additional levers on that occasion when translating the strength. During the jump, the body is stretched, and the tail balances horizontally. Off the cuff, Galagos can jump up over 2 m. On the ground, they jump only with the hind legs. The Zwerggalago jumps also after type of the remaining Galagos, however frequently scurries like the mice through the branches.
Food The Galagos like to put insects and according to small vertebrates, albeit a bulk of the food (with the Buschwaldgalago over 2/3) consists of plant-sharing. It becomes spiders, scorpions, insects and other Gliedertiere, but also bird-brood, lizards and chameleons carries off. At insects, Galagos sneak after type of the Loris (Lorisidae) along and catch it with the hand. However, they jump on the loot also like cats down or kill insects with an aimed thump.
At vegetable food, they so quite pick up everything: Seeds, nuts, berries and other fruits, leaves, buds, blooms and plant-shoots, Riesengalago and Zwerggalago lick up also resin.
Way of life The sociable Galagos are night-animals. The Zwerggalago is active completely particularly in the evening and morning hours, the Riesengalago mainly in the twilight, in the first night-half and in the early morning. During the night, it makes the Senegalgalago hikes of more than one kilometer.
The Galagos oversleep the day in sleep-caves or nests. Either, they sleep in sitting, the head between the legs been, or they lie on the side, the body with the tail covers.
Riesengalagos have up to 12 roosts, that they use alternate, in its precinct. Usually a tree-cave with soft branches or dry leaves is padded and is dressed so comfortably. they erect also nests in branch-forks or in natural caves. The Senegalgalago builds its nest also under prominent Häuserdächern. it ignored the entrance of its cave day while it sleeps in the nest.
Social-lives All Galagos live in a social community (sleep-community). The individual groups can amount to up to 9 animals. The Buschwaldgalago lives individually in sleep-communities of 1 to 4 animals, that Zwerggalago lives, or to second.
The individual groups, usually a male and few females, or only some females, or females with children, are condensed to populations, in which each animal or each group have an independent territory. The territory, according to the position of the animal, has a quite certain situation and size in the settlement-area of the population. Populations of Zwerggalagos can consist of over 50 animals.
The troop-size of the Riesengalagos can change continuously, equally like the composition. With the Riesengalagos, a male with several females can form a sleep-community, but also a family with a male, the female and the boy can stay together. However, there are also individually living females with boys or animals, who live quite alone.
On food-search, however, all animals go alone; the social community clearly differs from the social groups of other primates with it.
With the Senegalgalago, males and females live together during the combination-time, the females remain alone after it with the boys.
Ranking The order within a population was examined entering particularly with the Zwerggalago. In the middle of the settlement-area of a population, the territories of the females lie. These precincts can overlap, or few females can sleep together.
In the center, also the essentially bigger territories of the males with the highest ranking lie. The territories of these strong males overlay several (2-5) female-territories. The females form the "harem" of the dominant males without that very much together a close contact exists, like approximately with the baboons. The dominant males are significantly heavier (80 g) than the males of the second ranking-step (60 g). A territory admittedly populates also these in the middle of the settlement-area, doesn't have any own "harem" and only a smaller precinct, however.
At the edge of the population, weaker males settle, who live in also established territories, however.
The males take the lowermost ranking-step one, that no own territory lives in and only roams.
The steps of this ranking are not for always established. Also the roaming males can "upwards-climb" step the leader for step and can ultimately turn into a dominant male with own harem.
Also with the Riesengalagos, there is an established ranking. The dominant males take the highest position, the dominant females come after it. The young males come before the young females, who take the lowest position.
The subordinate animals take a humility-attitude opposite the dominant ones. The tail is lowered, and the ears of the subordinate animals are not fully unfolded.
Actual fights are rare. Only the males wrestle, beat and clash. The confrontations can be very vehement and bloody occasionally.
Mark The borders of the territories are marked with urine. The bunks, the change, become special Nahrunsplätze in same manner and mark also the own females from the males.
The urine-brands can be placed directly, can clean, however, the Galagos itself hands and feet with urine frequently and can then mark with it.
Social fur-care With the Riesengalago, the Harnwaschen is associated also with the body-care. Particularly in dry weather, the animals frequently "wash" hands and feet, and one assumes that they hold it pliantly with it. Riesengalagos go in for face-care also with the hands. All Galagos comb themselves or mutually with the tooth-comb formed from the low edge-teeth. Galagos sniff at and lick the fur for itself. Mutual fur-care becomes also with the finery-claw of the 2. Toe executed.
The mutual fur-care serves not only the cleanliness. it plays also a special role in the community-life of the Galagos (also like all other primates). So the social fur-care takes place first at a Riesengalago accepted again into a group after the newcomer submitted.
Innerartliche communication The Galagos have a wide spectrum of communication-possibilities. The expression gives, as again with the monkeys and the human being, the current nature-condition: With fear or fury, we yell people and stare on that occasion with opened mouth. We find the same expression as well as with the monkeys also like with the Galagos. they expose its teeth and discharge a scream.
Also the Drohgesten are with people, monkeys and Galagos like: The face is tense, the eyes far opened, the mouth half-openly, with covered teeth. There is another row of further face-expressions, that show the partner, in which mood the animal is and something could do it in a short time.
Also the smell plays an important role of the communication. Brünstige females isolate a secretion, that the males induce to turn to the female. An olfactory-contact always goes ahead the mating.
Finally, the Galagos also communicate acoustically. Particularly during the combination-time, one can hear the baby-good one screams of the Galagos far-to in the night. There are Drohgeräusche, sounds, that are delivered to fury, and alarm-screams. Females and boy call themselves mutually.
The Zwerggalagos have a collective-reputation, with which all again meet at the end of the nightly food-search, that each animal executes alone for itself, in order to move in to the nest together.
Reproduction The female Senegalgalagos build a separate nest, in which they retreat one to two days before the birth, for the Jungenaufzucht. they are especially touchy at this time and show an elevated activity. The Tragzeit of the Galagos is different. With the Riesengalago, it lies with 4-41/2 months, with the other types, it is usually shorter, at least however 31/2 months.
The reproductive-time frequently is distributed over the whole year. it lies with the Riesengalago between May and Octobers. It becomes usually once per year 1 until 2, also more rarely born 3 kids with the Riesengalago.
At the Senegal - and with the Riesengalago, the animals living in equator-proximity bring a young twice per year to the world, while that then however farther south living Artgenossen however only once per year, two kids gets.
After the birth, the young is licked off carefully. The females spend the first days with the boys together. The Galagos become with opened eyes and born fully hairy. With danger, the mother transports it from it in the mouth. The babies become with the nightly food-search at the stomach, later left behind on the back with around-carried or in the nest. The boys can be set aside on a branch also after type of the Schlanklori. The mother comes after a "abandonment-being" - reputation of the child back and picks up it again to the common day-sleep. The boys are suckled 11/2 (Zwerggalago) to 3 months (Riesengalago). they eat solid food however already after 3-4 weeks.
After 2 weeks, the young Galagos already go alone at discoveries. Zwerggalagos jump and run quite fast already after 3 weeks and are independent already after 3 months. Senegalgalagos gain the size of the adult animals with 4 months. Zwerggalagos went round the bend with 6 months. Galagos become sexually mature with 7-9 months, the boys remain frequent with the mother until new boy gets it.
Zwerggalagos are already 10 in captivity, yes even until 14 years been held.
Endangering Galagos are to still frequently be found in its habitat until now.
Characteristics of the types The 6 Galagoarten have in the individual next guise:
Riesengalago (Galago crassicaudatus)) The Riesengalago is 27-47 cm long and has one more than body-reaches, bushy tail. it weighs over 1 kg, heavy copies reach up to 1,8 kg. The Riesengalago is silver-gray until dark brown, sometimes even black colored. The face and the underside are lighter. it has long whiskers and Tasthaare at eye and cheek. The upper cuspids are powerfully developed, the low ones 2. Front-cheek-teeth after type of the cuspids extended. The low edge and cuspids are put slanted forward and form a tooth-comb (semi-monkeys) to cleaning.
Bush-baby or Senegalgalago (Galago senegalensis)) it is only half as big as the Riesengalago (head-torso-length 14-21 cm, tail 20-30 cm). The muzzle is shorter, and the ears are somewhat more pointed than with the Riesengalago. The color is gray, it can in-play also in the brownish or sallow. The tail becomes darker to the top to and is black in the end. Palm and sole are bare and rosy. Between the eyes, the Senegalgalago has a light blaze. The stomach-side is white until tan.
Allen-Galago (Galago alleni)) In the size between the Senegal, and the Allen, or Buschwaldgalago, lies the Riesengalago. This langschnauzige semi-monkey is 20-28 cm long. The Buschwaldgalago is colored quite colorful, light-dark brown, poor and legs are russet. The tail is gray, brown or black, the top sometimes knows. The underside is colored white, gray or yellow, more rarely with a red breast-strip equips. The eyes are bordered black.
Zwerggalago (Galago demidovii)) it is only 10-16 cm long and has one more than body-reaches, bushy tail. it is not much bigger than a mouse. The muzzle is pointed, but very short. Also the ears are shorter than with the other Galagos. There is brown, dawns and nearly red animals. The stomach-side is white, gray or yellow. The Urwaldgalago, as the Zwerggalago is also named, has a weak, light-dark face-drawing. Some body-places, the so-called "Schnüffelstellen" at the sex-organs, the heel as well as on palm and sole, is yellow. The upper cuspids are only short and the two rear pre-cheek-teeth cuspid-similarly extends and equally-long like the cuspids.
Kielnagelgalagos, Galago elegantulus and Galago inustus) The Kielnagelgalagos are approximately so big with a length of 22 cm as the Senegalgalago. Possibly they however also become significantly bigger, one tells about more than 30 cm. The tail is approximately 25 cm long once again. The Kielnagelgalagos have a short, cat-similar face with relatively long, rounded off ears. That dense and fleecy fur is colored exceptionally appealing, gray or cinnamon-colored. The eyes are gloomily bordered, on the back, a dark center line (eel-line) proceeds. Poor and legs are russet, the face dun. The underside is gray until dark-gray and sometimes has a sallow glimmer. Ears as well as hand and foot-surface are hairless.
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