Euoticus elegantulus (Le Conte, 1857)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Galagidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 184-209 : 207

15.

Southern Needle-clawed Galago

Euoticus elegantulus

French: Galago élégant / German: Sidlicher Kielnagelgalago / Spanish: Galago de garras meridional

Other common names: Elegant Galago, Elegant Needle-clawed Galago, Southern Needle-clawed Bushbaby, Western Needle-clawed Bushbaby, Western Needle-clawed Galago

Taxonomy. Microcebus elegantulus Le Conte, 1857 ,

Gabon, Ogooué River, Njola.

In the 2003 review by P. Grubb and coworkers, it was suggested that there might be at least two subspecies, with the form found south of the Ogooué River not yet named. |. Gray in 1863 placed this species in the subgenus Fuoticus. E. Schwarz in 1931 and W. C. O. Hill in 1953 concluded that it represented a distinct genus, and this has been confirmed in recent molecular genetic analyses. Individuals from inland areas tend to be darker than those closer to the coast, with other regional variations in body size and coloration. Monotypic.

Distribution. Primary forested regions of Cameroon (S of the Sanaga River), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo (N of the Congo and Ubangi rivers), and possibly the Central African Republic (four specimens found in the extreme SW).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 19-23 cm,tail 26-32 cm; weight 270-360 g. Male Southern Needle-clawed Galagos are slightly larger than females. The fur is notably dense, soft, and woolly. Upperparts are a deep golden-orange, sometimes with a darker reddish line running down the entire length of the back. The belly, flanks, and tail are ashy-gray, and there also may be some slight graying of the foreparts and face. Thetail is long and bushy and almost invariably tipped with white. Ears are short and small, and eyes are very large and pale orange. The snoutis remarkably blunt for a galago.

Habitat. Primary, secondary, littoral, evergreen, semi-deciduous, and deciduous lowland rainforests, also riparian forest and edges of clearings at low to medium altitudes. The Southern Needle-clawed Galagolives at heights of 15-30 m above the ground and generally prefers the upper canopy.

Food and Feeding. The Southern Needle-clawed Galago is a specialized gummivore, supplementing its diet with fruit, young leaves, insects, and an occasional bird. In the single long-term study of the species, 80% of gum was taken from a single liana, Entada gigas ( Fabaceae ). The toothcomb can be used to scrape gum, and the long tongueis used to lick resin and gum from holes. Invertebrates such as cicadas are caught with the hands. Insect prey appears to supplements gum and was found in stomachs of collected specimens in Rio Muni.

Breeding. Births of the Southern Needle-clawed Galago appear to occur throughout the year but mainly from January to March. Normally a single offspring is born after gestation of ¢.135 days. The mothercarries her offspring in her mouth for the first two months, after which she carries her young on her fur. Adult weight is reached at eight to ten months of age.

Activity patterns. Southern Needle-clawed Galagos are arboreal. Although primarily nocturnal, they can be active at any time of the day or night. Claw-like nails enable them to move around on smooth supports. They move easily on tree trunks, run along branches, make horizontal leaps of 2-5 m, and can leap up to 8 m with someloss of height.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Southern Needle-clawed Galago is normally solitary, and the home range of the male overlaps those of several females. They sleep in huddles of up to seven individuals in dense foliage or tree forks. Males emigrate; females remain near their natal territory. Several individuals sleep in a tightly packed ball in tree forks hidden by dense foliage. They spend the entire night searching for gums, and their nails allow them to investigate large tree trunks and other areas inaccessible to most other species of galagos. Gum is located by smell. An individual can visit 500-1000 collection points/night. Southern Needle-clawed Galagos are more abundant in secondary forest where exudate food trees are common. One common call-type has high-pitched single units often repeated in long sequences (“t’ya”). It comprises a pattern of relatively low-frequency yaps, interspersed with rapid, slightly ascending sequences or rattles.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Southern Needle-clawed Galago is widespread and common in many parts of its range. It occurs in the Dja Biosphere Reserve in Cameroon and Monte Alen National Park in Equatorial Guinea.

Bibliography. Ambrose (1999), Bayes (1998), Charles-Dominique (1977a), Du Chaillu (1861), Dutrillaux et al. (1982), Groves (1989, 2001), Hill (1953d), Jewell & Oates (1969a, 1969b), Nash et al. (1989), Stiner & Turmelle (2002/2003), Vincent (1972a, 1973).

Figures

1. Demidoft’s Dwart Galago (Galagoides demidouvi), 2. Thomas’s Dwarf Galago (Galagoides thomasi), 3. Mountain Dwarf Galago (Galagoudes orinus), 4. Rondo Dwart Galago (Galagoides rondoensis), 5. Mozambique Dwart Galago (Galagoides grant), 6. Kenya Coast Dwarf Galago (Galagoudes cocos), 7. Tanzania Coast Dwarf Galago (Galagoides zanzibaricus), 8. Northern Lesser Galago (Galago senegalensis), 9. Somali Lesser Galago (Galago gallarum), 10. Southern Lesser Galago (Galago moholi), 11. Spectacled Lesser Galago (Galago matschier), 12. Bioko Squirrel Galago (Sciurocheirus alleni), 13. Cross River Squirrel Galago (Sciurocheirus cameronensis), 14. Gabon Squirrel Galago (Sciurocheirus gabonensis)

Distribution. Primary forested regions of Cameroon (S of the Sanaga River), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo (N of the Congo and Ubangi rivers), and possibly the Central African Republic (four specimens found in the extreme SW).