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Gabon Allens bushbaby

Galago gabonensis

SUBFAMILY

Galaginae

TAXONOMY

Galago gabonensis Gray, 1863. Originally included in the species Galago alleni, which is now restricted to the form found on Bioko Island.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Galago d'Allen gabonais; German: Buschwaldgalago; Spanish: Gálago de Allen.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Fur gingery brown dorsally and pale gray with a yellow tone ventrally. Limbs bright orange. Overall light coloration is distinctive. Head and body length: 8.5 in (21.5 cm); tail length: 10 in (24.5 cm). Body mass: males 10 oz (280 g); females 9.5 oz (270 g).

DISTRIBUTION

Cameroon, Río Muni, Gabon, and Congo Republic. HABITAT

Evergreen tropical rainforests. BEHAVIOR

Nocturnal and primarily arboreal, but preferentially occupies the forest understorey and frequently descends to ground to feed. Specialized vertical-clinger-and-leaper. Forages solitarily, but adult males and females form social networks through occasional contacts by night in overlapping ranges and sharing of nests by day. Adult males are notably aggressive in their interactions.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Feeds primarily on fallen fruit, with a complement of arthropods (mainly insects).

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Polygynous. Typically gives birth to a single infant. Breeds throughout the year in Gabon. Gestation period 135 days.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Relatively common and not immediately threatened.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS None known. ♦