Otolemur garnettii (Ogilby, 1838)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6657019 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6657005 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D2E067-FFC1-FFEB-FA75-FAD4623BFB2A |
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treatment provided by |
Jonas |
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scientific name |
Otolemur garnettii |
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Garnett’s Greater Galago
Otolemur garnettii View in CoL
French: Galago de Garnett / German: Kleinohr-Riesengalago / Spanish: Galago mayor de Garnett
Other common names: Northern Greater Galago, Small-eared Galago, Small-eared Greater Galago; Kikuyu Smalleared Galago (kikuyuensis), Pangani Small-eared Galago (panganiensis), White-tailed Small-eared Galago (/asiotis), Zanzibar Small-eared Galago (garnettii)
Taxonomy. Otolicnus garnettii Ogilby, 1838 ,
Zanzibar Island, Tanzania; type locality fixed by O. Thomas in 1917.
Until recently, O. garnettiz was considered a subspecies of Otolemur or Galago crassicaudatus. It is now considered to be a distinct species. A small (possibly dwarf) undescribed form, known as the “Mwera Greater Galago ,” occurs in south-eastern Tanzania and north-eastern Mozambique. It is fawnish-gray with off-white underparts, dark brown hands and feet, and poorly defined patches around the eyes. It is reported to be sympatric with O. garnettiiat Litipo and Mtopwa, and it has similar vocalizations. It may represent a new species or subspecies. The subspecies lasiotis is possibly sympatric with the “Miombo Silver Galago ” ( O. crassicaudatus monteiri) in north-eastern Tanzania, and the subspecies panganiensis is widely sympatric with it in north-eastern and south-eastern Tanzania. Four subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
O. g. garnettiiO. g., 1838 — Zanzibar, Pemba, andMafiaIs, Tanzania.
O. g. kikuyuensisLonnberg, 1912 — Kenya (highlandsEoftheRiftValley).
O. g. panganiensis Matschie, 1905 — Tanzania (S of Tanga, Mt Kilimanjaro, and Lake Manyara); possibly in N Mozambique and N Malawi. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 23-34 cm, tail 30-44 cm; weight 820-1200 g (males) and 550-720 g (females). The Garnett’s Greater Galago is much smaller than the Thick-tailed Greater Galago ( O. crassicaudatus ), with a pointed (rather than broad) muzzle and short ears. The upperside is grayish-brown to reddish, with paler underparts. The tail is bushy, and its tip is brown, black, or white. The face is not paler than the forehead; eye-rings are not noticeable. Distal ends of the nails are concave, with lateral points. Males are ¢.18% heavier than females, although only slightly larger. The “Zanzibar Small-eared Galago ” (O. g. garnettii ) is slightly greenish-toned and reddishbrown above, with a yellowish-white underside. The tail is light brown, becoming black on its terminal one-half, and the crown is often black. The “White-tailed Small-eared Galago ” (O. g. lasiotis) is generally grayish above with a grayish-white underside. The terminal part of the tail is only slightly darker and is often tipped with white. The “Pangani Small-eared Galago ” (O. g. panganiensis) is a well-marked, rather pallid subspecies, lacking the greenish tones of the Zanzibar Small-eared Galago . Only the last one-quarter ofthe tail tends to be black. The “Kikuyu Small-eared Galago ” (O. g. kikuyuensis) is generally iron-gray with a tinge of green above and yellowish-white below. The tail is light brown, becoming nearly black toward the tip. Occasional individuals are darker and more ocher.
Habitat. Coastal, riparian, montane, and highland forest from sea level to 2500 m,also agricultural mosaic habitats (coconut and clove plantations), coral rag, forest edge, and major river valleys. A highly adaptable species, it is found in midto high-canopy coastal and montane tropical forest and in gallery forest. It is also able to persist in secondary and highly fragmented forest, cultivated areas, and sometimes suburbs.
Food and Feeding. Garnett’s Greater Galago is a frugivore that supplements its diet with insects, other animal prey, and gums. It is principally a solitary arboreal forager spending more than one-half its time above 5 m and preferring canopy branches larger than 5 cm in diameter. They rarely go to the ground. Only certain fruiting trees, including Ficus (Moraceae) , Grewia (Malvaceae) , Lannea stuhlmannii ( Anacardiaceae ), and Vitex strickeri ( Lamiaceae ), may tempt individuals to congregate and feed together. Although most observations suggest Garnett’s Greater Galagos eat mainly fruit, nocturnal observations of insect hunting are difficult to obtain. Indeed, 50% offecal pellets contain insects and the other 50% contain seeds. Stomach-content analysis gives a similar result. Invertebrates are the animal prey of choice and include beetles, orthopterans, centipedes, spiders, ants, caterpillars, millipedes, bugs, snails, and termites. An occasional bird is also eaten. Garnett’s Greater Galagos sometimes also forage on bananas, breadfruit, mangos, paw paw, and other crops, including coconuttree sap used by local people for the production of palm wine.
Breeding. Multiple males may seek a female to mate. Mating is prolonged, lasting up to 120 minutes. They give birth to one, rarely two, offspring each year, typically in August—October. Gestation is ¢.130 days. The infant is carried only in the mother’s mouth and not on her back as in the Thick-tailed Greater Galago , and she parks them while foraging. Weaning takes place at c.140 days. Both sexes are able to breed by 18 months of age. It can live up to 15 years.
Activity patterns. Garnett’s Greater Galagos are nocturnal and arboreal. They have a quadrupedal locomotion strategy. When leaping, they tend to land hindfeetfirst. Hopping is the normal mode of progression on the ground.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Garnett’s Greater Galagos spend their day in a sleeping site of tangled vegetation in tall bushes or trees. They apparently do not make nests or sleep in tree holes. Males sleep alone; females sleep with their offspring. Males are mainly solitary, with a home range of c.17 ha, but reciprocal grooming and play occur. Less social behavior is seen among Garnett’s Greater Galagos than among Thick-tailed Greater Galagos, possibly because of the presence of fewer infants. Female territories are c.12 ha. There is little overlap between home ranges of adults of the same age, but extensive overlap occurs among individuals of different ages. Matriarchies are present. In coastal Kenya, individuals travel c.1-6 km/night. Fully adult individuals, even of the opposite sex, rarely sleep together. Young females mature in their natal ranges, but males disperse to other areas. A loud trailing call is given by both sexes to announce their presence to conspecifics.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. Garnett’s Greater Galago is widespread and abundant, although patchily distributed and conspicuously absent from some forests. It occurs in the national parks of Aberdare, Meru, Mount Kenya, and Tsavo and Tana River Primate Reserve in Kenya and the national parks ofJozani Chakwa, Lake Manyara, and Udzungwa Mountains and the forest reserves of Liteho, Litipo, Ngezi, Rondo, and Ziwani in Tanzania. It may also be found in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
Bibliography. Ansell & Dowsett (1988), Bearder, Ambrose et al. (2003), Bearder, Honess & Ambrose (1995), Becker, Buder et al. (2003), Becker, Watson & Ward (1999), Butynski et al. (1998), Clark (1978a, 1988), Hager (2001), Hager & Welker (2001), Harcourt (1984), Harcourt & Nash (1986a), Hill (1953d), Honess (1996), Izard & Simons (1986), Jenkins (1987), Kingdon (1997), Lumsden (1995), Masters (1986, 1988, 1991), Masters & Lubinsky (1988), Masters, Lumsden & Young (1988), Masters, Stanyon & Romagno (1987), Nash (1983), Nash & Harcourt (1986), Nash & Weisenseel (2000), Nash et al. (1989), Olson (1979), Perkin (2000, 2001b), Petter & Petter-Rousseaux (1979), Poorman (1982), Zimmermann (1990).
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