Galago

galago

[gə′lä·gō]

(vertebrate zoology)

bushbaby

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Galago

 

a genus of primate mammals of the family Galaginae, suborder Lemuroidea. Body length, 115-380 mm; tail length, 150-410 mm. The fur is rust brown and thick; the tail is bushy; the hind legs are much longer than the forelegs. The heel section of the tarsus is very elongated. The ears are large and movable. The galago has sharp hearing; it has large eyes, as do other nocturnal animals. It is found in the tropical forests of Africa south of the Sahara. The galago leads a solitary, largely nocturnal life. It feeds on insects and other small animals and eats birds’ eggs. Galagos are easily domesticated in captivity and also willingly eat vegetable matter. Gestation lasts four to five months; there is usually one pup in a litter but twins are often encountered.

M. F. NESTURKH

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.