Report on Greater Galago - Essay Example

Males have a penis that is 20mm in length with tip wellings (Anderson 326). Furthermore, the penis is enclosed in spines that reduces in size in the direction of the tip where the baculum end is observed (Anderson 329). Otolemur crassicaudatus mainly feeds on fruits, gums from Acacia karroo, millipedes, seeds, insects and nectar (Clark 588). This species of Galogos also consumes lower sepals from Adonsonia digitata (baobab) and Genius Combretum (Coe & Isaac 123). In Transvaal south Africa this species of Galogos feeds on dry fruits that are hard shelled and woody and also Zizyphus mucronata berries.

Greater Galogos also feeds on anthropoids found in orders: Isoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Chilopoda, Odonata and Coleoptera (Harcourt 492).Moreover, this species feeds on termites of Macrotermes sp and millipedes using tongue and lips while walking (Happold & Happold 118).It does this by moving from one tree to another capturing insects and foraging on gum (Clark 593). Otolemur crassicaudatus sleeps in hidden thick mesh of creepers and twigs of trees 5-12m from the ground .Greater Galogos have many sleeping sites and during the day they cannot move away from these sites Otolemur crassicaudatus moves quadrupedally in bushes and forests.

While on the ground, it moves using hind limbs only with a kangaroo gait and where both hind and fore limbs are used, it has portrays galloping gait. The hindquarters are in the air when it is either running or walking (Anderson 328). In terms of social behavior, Otolemur crassicaudatus is a nocturnal primate that displays the following characteristics; first, male and female move away from their birth localities, but males sometimes return to avoid dominant male. Male’s territory overlap with that of female with no overlap home ranges while the latter have overlap home ranges.

Males do not keep out other male within their home but females have a tendency of keeping out other females (Clark 1985). Social interaction mainly takes place in overlap home ranges especially after feeding and, in some cases, the whole night. In mating period, females tend to associate with juveniles and males (Clark 585). Juveniles follow mature males at night to understand areas or regions where food resources are found (Clark 589). During reproduction, females make nests which consist of unreachable and middle-depressed with dense foliage leaves to provide shelter for the infants.

Greater Galagos have a gestation period of 128 days (Ehrlich 192).The species gives birth to singletons, twins or triplets in a birth season which is usually early November (Harcourt 492). Sexual organs swell in the mating seasons in Otolemur crassicaudatus. The species has one mating season which takes place in June for a period of two weeks. The species gives birth at day time with female remaining awake when other Galagos go to sleep. There are visible contractions that are followed by frequent licking of genital before birth.

Female do not produce any sound at the time when they are giving birth. Infants weigh about 40g and are sired with open eyes. The infants spend most of their time in conduct with their mother who transports them orally up to when they are about five weeks (Ehrlich 198). At the age of seven weeks, infants begin to explore their environment and, in some cases, they play. Weaning takes place at the age of three month. This species is found in western Africa (central), Eastern and southern parts of Africa.

In South Africa, it is found