GALAGO

any of six species of small, arboreal primates, genus Galago, family Lorisidae, found in sub-Saharan African forests. Galagos are attractive gray, brown, or reddish- or yellowish-brown animals with large eyes and ears, long hind legs, soft wooly fur, and long tails. They are also characterized by the great elongation of the upper portion of the feet (tarsus) and by the ability to fold their ears. Galagos pass the day in sleep but are active at night, feeding on fruits, insects, and small birds. In the trees, galagos cling and leap about; the smaller forms, such as the bush baby (G. senegalensis), are extremely active and agile. When they descend to the ground they sit upright, and they move around by jumping with their hind legs like jerboas. Galagos range in length from about 1216 centimetres (4 1/26 inches), excluding the 1820-centimetre tail, in Demidoff's dwarf galago, Galago (or Galagoides) demidovii, to about 3037 centimetres, excluding the 4247-centimetre tail, in the thick-tailed galago, G. crassicaudatus. Known gestation periods are about three to four months; the number of young is usually one or two.