Euoticus pallidus (Gray, 1863)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6657019 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6657001 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D2E067-FFC0-FFE9-FF9D-F3FC6DDEF616 |
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treatment provided by |
Jonas |
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scientific name |
Euoticus pallidus |
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Northern Needle-clawed Galago
French: Galago pale / German: Nordlicher Kielnagelgalago / Spanish: Galago de garras septentrional
Other common names: Northern Needle-clawed Bushbaby, Pallid Needle-clawed Galago; Bioko Needle-clawed Galago (pallidus), Nigeria Needle-clawed Galago (talbot ))
Taxonomy. Otogale pallida Gray, 1863 ,
Equatorial Guinea, Bioko.
Formerly considered to be a subspecies of E. elegantulus . C. P. Groves in 1989 elevated it to a full species. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
E. p. pallidusGray, 1863 — BiokoI.
E. p. talboti Dollman, 1910 — found patchily between the Niger and Sanaga rivers in SE Nigeria and NW Cameroon. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 16-20 cm, tail 28-32 cm, weight 200-260 g. The Northern Needle-clawed Galago is generally smaller and paler than the Southern Needle-clawed Galago (FE. elegantulus ), with a longer bushy tail. The upper bodyis pale reddish or buffy-brown to reddish-gray, noticeably grayer on the arms, shoulders, neck, and tail. It has a dark red-brown dorsal stripe running from behind the area between the shoulder blades to the lumbar region. The underside is yellowish-white to gray-white. The face is light buff and characterized by a pair of black eye-rings surrounding very large, bright, orangey-gold eyes. Their long dark ears have no extra fold. Penile morphology is distinct from that of Southern Needle-clawed Galago . The “Bioko Needle-clawed Galago ” (E. p. pallidus ) is dull cinnamon-gray above, with an indistinct, brownish-red dorsal stripe and whitish-gray underparts. The black of the eye-rings continues on to the nose, so that only the interorbital region is whitish. The “Nigeria Needle-clawed Galago ” (E. p. talboti) is lighter colored above than the nominate subspecies, with a more distinct dorsal stripe and yellowish-white undersides. The interorbital white stripe tends to extend up to between the eye-rings.
Habitat. Primary, secondary, tropical moist, montane, lowland, evergreen, young and old secondary forest, and riparian swamp forests, also tree plantations. The Northern Needle-clawed Galago prefers midto high canopy above 15 m. It appears to be largely confined to lower elevations, perhaps due to a paucity or absence of gum-producing trees at elevations above 1600 m.
Food and Feeding. The Northern Needle-clawed Galago is a specialized gummivore, feeding primarily on gums but also saps and resins, supplemented with fruit, young leaves, insects, and an occasional bird.
Breeding. A single young is born each year. The mother carries her offspring in her mouth for the first two months and afterwards on her fur. Pregnant females have been found in January, May, June, and November.
Activity patterns. Northern Needle-clawed Galagos are arboreal and nocturnal. They move with ease on broad supports and can grip smooth surfaces with their claw-like nails. They often descend tree trunks head first. They can make horizontal leaps between adjoining trees and will also sometimes drop vertically with outstretched limbs. Hollow trees are used as sleepingsites.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Northern Needle-clawed Galago is usually solitary. The home range of a male overlaps those of several females. Individuals sleep in huddles of up to five or, more often, singly in dense foliage and in tree forks. When sleeping communally, they produce a distinct gathering call at dawn. (Calls that are common to both species of needle-clawed galago are single high-pitched units often repeated in long sequences (“t’'ya”) and long, harsh screeches.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. The subspecies pallidus on Bioko Island is classified as Endangered because it has a tiny geographic distribution, which is undergoing continual destruction and degradation. It occurs in Korup National Park and Banyang-Mbo Widlife Sanctuary in Cameroon and Cross River National Park, Okomu National Park, Afi Mountain Wildife Sanctuary, and Mamu River Forest Reserve in Nigeria. It also is found in the proposed Mount Kupe Forest Reserve in Cameroon, Iko Esai “Community Forest” in Nigeria, and Southern Highlands Scientific Reserve on Bioko Island.
Bibliography. Ambrose (1999), Bearder & Honess (1992), Eisentraut (1973), Malbrandt & MacLatchy (1949), Oates (1969, 2011), Oates & Jewell (1967), Sanderson (1940).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
