Bushbaby Species Profile: The Nocturnal Galagos of East Africa

Most visitors meet a bushbaby first as a sound. After dark at a lodge in Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania, a thin wailing cry rises from the trees and a guide will say that it is a bushbaby. With luck, a torch beam picks up two huge reflective eyes, and then the animal is gone in a single leap.

This profile covers how to identify the main species, how they live, and the best ways to see them. It sits alongside the Uganda primates and monkeys page and the East Africa primates and gorillas guide.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

Bushbabies are small primates with large rounded ears that fold and flex, a long bushy tail, thick soft fur and enormous eyes. East Africa has several kinds. The lesser bushbaby, sometimes called the Senegal bushbaby, is grey-brown and about the size of a squirrel, found in savanna woodland and acacia country. The thick-tailed or greater bushbaby is larger, with a heavy tail and a more robust build, and lives in forest and thicker woodland. Smaller dwarf galagos, such as Demidoff's galago, live in forest and are tiny. The Zanzibar galago occurs in coastal and island forests in Kenya and Tanzania. Close views are usually brief, so size and habitat are useful clues.

Leaping and Movement

Galagos are superb jumpers. Their long hind legs act like springs, and a bushbaby can leap several metres between branches, landing on its hands and feet in a fraction of a second. When on the ground it hops in a kangaroo-like manner. The tail provides balance, and the fingers and toes have pads for grip. Ears can be folded against the head to protect them in thick vegetation, and each ear moves independently to track the sound of insects in the dark.

Diet and Feeding

Bushbabies are omnivores. Insects such as beetles, moths and grasshoppers form a large part of the diet, caught by a quick snatch with the hands, and the animals also eat fruit, flowers, seeds and small vertebrates. Many species feed heavily on tree gum, which they gnaw from acacia and other trees, and which is especially important in the dry season. Gum-feeding is one reason why lesser bushbabies are common in acacia country, where the trees ooze sticky sap that provides year-round energy.

Social Life and Calls

Though they forage alone at night, bushbabies are social animals. Females share sleeping nests or hollow trees with their young during the day, and males and females recognise each other by calls. The loud calls that give the animal its name serve as contact and territorial signals, and each species has a distinct call that scientists use for identification. Bushbabies also mark territory by urinating on their hands and feet, which leaves scent trails on branches and helps with grip. Mothers carry babies in the mouth and park them on branches while foraging.

Threats and Conservation

Most galago species are not considered globally threatened and some are common around towns and gardens. Forest species, however, depend on intact woodland and can be affected by habitat clearance. Other threats include collisions on roads, predation by owls, genets, snakes and domestic animals, and collection for the pet or traditional-medicine trade. Lights and noise can disturb them, and responsible night viewing means short, dim torchlight and no flash photography. See responsible travel for general guidance.

Where to See Bushbabies

Night drives and night walks are the best opportunities. In Uganda, night drives and night walks in Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth and Kibale all give chances, and many lodges report bushbabies in their gardens. In Kenya and Tanzania, walking and night safaris in private conservancies and some lodge grounds are ideal. Read East Africa night drives and walking safaris for where these are allowed.

Photography and Related Species

Photographing bushbabies is hard. Use a high ISO, a fast lens and the lowest light your guide permits, and take patient, single shots rather than bursts. A red filter on the torch reduces stress to the animal. Other nocturnal creatures to look for on the same walk include the pangolin, aardvark and aardwolf, and you can compare the primate family in the colobus profile.

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Related Tours, Guides and Resources

• Ameera Africa Safaris homepage: Uganda safaris, tours and holidays
• Uganda safari packages
• Uganda travel guide
• How to book a Uganda safari
• Plan your safari with our team