• Common name: Mohol, or South African Lesser Galago
• Scientific or Latin name: Galago moholi A. Smith, 1836
• Scientific Classification: Class: Mammalia. Order: Primates.
Suborder: Prosimii. Family: Lorisidae. Genus: Galago.
Species: Moholi.
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More Lesser Bushbaby Pictures
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Above: One of our Lesser Bushbabies (Galago Moholi).
This one was hand raised at the Centre. His name is "Mogwai"
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• Distinguishing characteristics: The Mohol or South African Lesser Galago was, until 1979, thought to be only a subspecies of the Senegal Galago. At that time, it was elevated to full separate species status primarily based upon its distinct morphology, and the fact that it shares its habitat, but does not interbreed with the Senegal Galago.
The Mohol or South African Lesser Galago is a moderate sized Galago. On average, it weighs approximately 158 grams. It is smaller than the Senegal Galago, but has a relatively shorter muzzle and larger eyes, and a broader head. Like other Galago species, the head is capable of being rotated almost 180 degrees similar to an owl.
Being a nocturnal species, the eyes are large and conspicuous. The retina is surfaced predominantly by cone cells. A highly light-reflecting layer, the tapetum (tapetum lucidum) is present in the choroid of the eye. The eye shine produced when a light is shone at the right angle is dazzling in its brilliance. The iris of the eye is capable of contracting during daylight to form a small vertical ellipse which becomes completely circular at night.
Like the lemurs, this species has retained a well developed sense of smell and can be distinguished from the higher primates (as well as the Tarsiers) by the presence of a moist nose or rhinarium. In addition, unlike the higher primates, the Mohol has a face covered with hair. It has larger ears proportionately than either the Somali or Senegal Galagos.
The coat of this species is brownish gray to light brown. However, the sides and the limbs always have a tendency towards a distinctly yellow coloration. There are markings between the eyes as well as a dark ring around each eye. The hair on the tail starts at its base being the same length as the hair on the body, and becomes gradually progressively longer until reaching the tip of the tail. Although not sparsely furred, the tail is not considered to be bushy.
The hands and feet are prehensile. In other words, modified for grasping. The palms and the soles of the feet have special friction pads in order to assure a firm grip in its arboreal habitat. Its fingernails are rounded like our own, with the exception of the second toe which is modified as a toilet claw. This pointed claw is used to groom the head and neck fur and to clean the ears. The fingers and toes have flat disks of thickened skin which aid in grasping tree limbs and slippery surfaces. The index finger of each hand is degenerate (much shorter than the other fingers of the hand) in order to facilitate a better grip around larger branches.
The Mohol, or South African Lesser Galago is characterized by the presence of a tooth-comb. This is formed by the four lower incisors and the two canines which are pointed and project forward. During grooming the tooth-comb is used to remove any rough material encrusted, matted or tangled hair, etc. On the underside of the tongue lies a second fleshy comb (the sublingua). This has sharpened and hardened points used to clean the debris from between the teeth and tooth-comb.
The Mohol, or South African Lesser Galago has a unique method of locomotion. It is a phenomenal jumper. According to some authorities, it is capable of leaping in a split second as much as 6 feet vertically, and up to twelve feet horizontally. High speed photography methods have proven that this species is unique in that it lands with the hind feet first. Although many Galago species land with their front limbs first in order to cushion the impact, it is thought that the Mohol, or South African Lesser Galago lands with the hind feet first in order to protect the head and upper body from the long thorns often found growing from the branches of many of the trees in its habitat.
To the untrained eye, this Galago leaps so incredibly fast, that it appears to teleport from one location to another. Its important to point out that these powerful leaps are made possible by the prolongation of the hind limbs. The legs (or hind limbs) are fully twice the length of the arms or front limbs. This difference in length is due to a large extent to the prolongation of the scaphoid and the heel bone of each foot, but this does not interfere with the ability of the toes to grasp much like the hands do. When on the ground, this species hops on its hind limbs remarkably like a miniature kangaroo.
The Lesser Galago is highly territorial. This species marks its territory with the scent in its urine. A technique known as “urine washing”. A drop is first deposited on a hand and is then wiped to the foot on the same side of the body. It is then deposited indirectly, almost unconsciously as the animal moves along the branches in its territory. By means of this scent marking behavior, this species can maintain social relations at a distance. This is known as deferred communication. The territory of a dominant male encompasses that of several females.
Female Lesser Galago’s social structure is basically a harem structure. Small social groups are formed comprising only mothers, daughters, sisters and their young. Females from outside the group are not tolerated and are chased vigorously out of this shared territory. Competition among males for dominance is intense as only dominant males are allowed to breed. Whereas females may occupy their territories for several years, dominant males are replaced in their territories almost annually.
Lesser Galagos communicate predominantly through sound, with a proportion of their extensive vocabulary being ultrasonic. (well above the range of human hearing.)
This species has at least 18 different calls, that can be correlated with definite modes of behavior. These belong to 3 functional groups, those being; social contact, aggressive and defensive, and annunciatory behaviors. Their great reliance upon vocal communication is part of their survival strategy upon recognition of an enemy.
They are constantly ready to instantly flee, and they have evolved a series of separate alarm calls to alert the social group to the presence of different predators. The vocabulary of the young differs greatly from that of the adults, and has been likened to the ‘baby talk’ phase of human development. |
• Habitat and natural range: Known as a “Bushbaby” species, the Mohol or South African Lesser Galago is an arboreal, (tree dwelling) nocturnal, (night active) species often considered to be native to most of southern Africa. However, it is known from the eastern part of South Africa, namely northern Mozambique, and particularly western and southern Tanzania and eastern most Zaire.
Within these locales its preferred habitat is the savannahs, woodlands, riverine bush and the fringes of forests. In particular, near the Limpopo River between points of confluence with the Marico and Notwani Rivers. Being a South African species, it has a relatively high tolerance for temperature variation, the limits being from -6 to +41° Celsius. |
• Natural diet: This species has specialized its dietary habits in that it feeds predominately upon insects and small arthropods. However, tree sap or gums are also a crucial component of its diet. This species also uses it’s tooth comb to scoop out drops of tree sap held in the fissures of the bark.
At times of the year when insects are scarce, they are almost completely dependent for their sustenance upon the rich carbohydrates found in this sap. In fact, this species is found almost exclusively where such resinous tree species occur, and is dependent indirectly upon the activity of certain insect larvae found in the long-horned, jewel and click beetle families, as well as certain wood borers whose feeding activities stimulate the trees to produce resin. Despite their dependence upon tree resins, during the season of insect scarcity the Lesser Galago still tends to lose weight.
They have incredibly acute hearing, and are even able to track the movements of an insect solely by sound through an opaque partition. The ability to locate prey by hearing is so precise that this species can catch gnats on the wing with their hands. They are aided by the mobility of their large thin skinned membranious ears. Their ears have a number of rib like structures or creases along which they can be folded and can be independently or simultaneously bent back and wrinkled downward from the tips well toward the base. This furling and unfurling of the ears is carried on frequently and produces a most comical expression. They are capable of clamping to a branch with one or both hind feet, thus freeing their arms to grasp an insect with both hands. This is done so quickly that the motion appears almost spring like, and in a split second they have retrieved their tasty insect morsel, and are eating it in a typical upright squatting position.
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• Reproduction: Among Mohol, or South African Lesser Galagos, there is a tendency for young to be born twice a year, although they have been known to be born during any season.
A low infant mortality rate is especially important for the preservation of this species. Compared to other mammals of similar size their birth rate is very low. They have an unusually long gestation period of 124 days. Despite this comparatively long period of development within the mother’s body, the young of this prosimian species weight less at birth when compared to the newborn young of higher primates of similar size. The species is born with only a thin coat of hair, and the eyes are open. They young however are not able to move about to any extent independently.
Females of this species typically give birth to twins, very rarely to a single baby or triplets. For the first few days, the baby is kept in a tree hollow, thereafter the female brings the young with her while foraging at night. Unlike most primates, the young do not ride clinging to the mother’s fur, instead the mother will carry each baby, separately clasped by the scruff of its neck in her mouth, as its young have a special bundle of nerves under the skin in this region, that when pressed by the mother’s jaws, cause the baby to pull its limbs up tightly and become paralyzed, to prevent injury from their being caught on twigs and thorns. Each baby is then left clinging to a nearby branch as the mother feeds.
This unique behavior is known as “baby parking”. It is thought to prevent predators from preying upon unattended young left in a tree hollow. The young Galagos nurse on the mother for 100.3 days. At 2 weeks of age, the young Galagos start to resist the mother’s attempts at transporting them, and begin to move about cautiously on their own. By this time, they have tripled their birth weight. In captivity, this species has been known to live up to 14 years. |
| • Notes on Captive propagation (at the Centre): In the past, it was especially difficult to breed most of the Lorisiformes (to which Galagos belong) in university departments and in zoos, there were few successes so far as breeding the Lorises and Galagos over successive generations. Yet for some species, breeding in groups under scientific care may be the only chance of survival in the near future. Among Galagos and Loris species living today, a large percentage are confined to tropical rain forests. In view of the rapidity with which this type of habitat is being destroyed by humans, there is certainly reason to fear the worst. This is an important reason the Centre has decided to devote so much energy to the captive propagation of multiple blood lines of the Mohol, or South African Lesser Galago. |
| • Circumstances affecting Conservation: Due to a loss of habitat from a combination of agricultural development and the effects of political instability the Mohol or South African Lesser Galago is as well as most of the worlds prosimians are; facing increasing threats to their continued existence in nature. |
| If you feel, as we do that captive propagation functions as an insurance policy against extinction, and want to help, click the button on our contents page; "How you can Help", or click its text here in quotations. |
