Sciurocheirus gabonensis (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.6656995 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D2E067-FFC4-FFEC-FA85-FA336235FD22 |
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treatment provided by |
Jonas |
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scientific name |
Sciurocheirus gabonensis |
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Gabon Squirrel Galago
Sciurocheirus gabonensis View in CoL
French: Galago du Gabon / German: Gabun-Buschwaldgalago / Spanish: Géalago ardilla de Gabon
Other common names: Gabon Allen's Galago, Gabon Bushbaby, Gray's Squirrel Galago
Taxonomy. Galago alleni var. gabonensis Gray, 1863 View in CoL ,
Gabon.
Following its description as a variant of Galago alleni , in 1872 J. Gray listed this galago as a distinct species in the genus Otolicnus . However, most subsequent authors have regarded it as a synonym of G. alleni . C. P. Groves in 1989 listed it as a subspecies of G. alleni , as did J. Kingdon in his African mammals field guide published in 1997, but it is now considered to be a full species. The so-called “Makandé Squirrel Galago ” from the Forét des Abeilles, south of the Ogoué River, Gabon, was first mentioned by Kingdon in his field guide, butstill awaits formal description. It is said to be somewhat smaller than S. gabonensis and very dark, with orange underparts. Its repetitive croaking territorial advertisement call is distinct from other members of the genus. Monotypic.
Distribution. Sanaga River in NW Cameroon, through Equatorial Guinea, SW Central African Republic, and the Republic of the Congo to Gabon (S to the Ogooué River); its E extent is thought to be bounded by the Congo and Ubangirivers; its distribution S of the Ogooué River is unknown, but possibly exists in DR Congo and Angola. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 16-24 cm, tail 23-30 cm; weight 200-500 g. The Gabon Squirrel Galago is gingery-brown above, with rather yellowy underparts, bright orange limbs, and a gray crown. It has black eye-rings, and a pale nose stripe extends to a broad forehead patch. Ears are dark, large, and rounded. The tail is dark brown to silvery-gray, sometimes with a light colored tip, and is evenly bushy.
Habitat. Primary lowland, littoral, evergreen, and semi-deciduous forests, also some secondary and logged forest up to 800 m above sea level. The Gabon Squirrel Galago is rare in cultivated areas. It is most often seen in the understory (1-2 m above the ground), where it prefers vertical supports. Individuals rarely go to the ground but may forage there in heavily shaded forest with an open floor and numerous lianas and tree trunks.
Food and Feeding. The Gabon Squirrel Galago is mainly frugivorous-gummivorous (73% fruit from stomach content analysis). It supplements its diet with young leaves and certain types of wood. Some invertebrates (beetles, moths, ants, spiders, termites, centipedes, and caterpillars), frogs, and snails are also eaten. It catches them by hand rather than by mouth. It rarely goes up to heights of 10 m above the ground when it is hunting.
Breeding. Births of the Gabon Squirrel Galago occur throughout the year, with a noticeable peak in January. One (sometimes two) young are born per year after gestation of c.133 days; the birth weight is 24 g. The mother takes its infant out of the nest when it is a few days old, carrying it in her mouth for the first six weeks. The mother hidesit in vegetation while she forages during the night and carries it back to the nest in the morning. Sexual maturity occurs at 8-10 months. Individuals have been known to live up to eight years in the wild.
Activity patterns. The Gabon Squirrel Galago is nocturnal and arboreal. Movements are by vertical clinging and leaping.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Adult males are largely solitary and live in home ranges of 17-50 ha. They are aggressive toward one another and apparently are territorial, each seeking to control a home range that overlaps those of several females, and intense competition may result. Females are more gregarious, living in smaller overlapping home ranges of 3-9-16-6 ha, in which matriarchies are evident. Male—female relations are stable throughout the year and are maintained by frequent contact. Adults of the opposite sex can share the same area, sometimes sleep together by day, and have some contact at night even though they forage separately. Usually a single individual occupies a sleeping site; males sleep alone, but females sometimes sleep in goups of 3-6, two or three adult females, plus their young. Males emigrate at puberty; females may continue to sleep with their mothers. Individuals forage by night among small vertical supports in the undergrowth and sleep by day in one of several favored hollow branches or in specially built nests located near the tops of the tallest trees. Because they cannot tolerate exposure to sunlight or heavyrainfall, their sleeping places are invariably sheltered. As with other squirrel galagos, low-frequency croaking is used for long distance contact. Short, rapid whistles in phrases of 1-10 units, used in the contexts of contact and alarm, are characteristic of the Gabon Squirrel Galago .
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. The Gabon Squirrel Galago is relatively widespread, although it occurs at relatively low densities throughout much ofits distribution. It occurs in Dja Biosphere Reserve and Lobéké Reserve in Cameroon and possibly Monte Alen National Park in Equatorial Guinea.
Bibliography. Ambrose (1999, 2003), Charles-Dominique (1977a), Charles-Dominique & Bearder (1979), Gray (1872), Groves (1989), Kingdon (1997), Nash et al. (1989).
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.
