Thursday 11 September 2014 Pallid Needle-clawed Galago - African Glider of the Forest

The pallid needle-clawed galago (Euoticus pallidus) is also known as the Northern needle-clawed bushbaby. This small primate lives in the forests of the African countries of Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It relies on living in the treetops. If African forests continue to be decimated, then the pallid needle-clawed galago will become extinct in the wild. Currently, this species is not endangered.

This small primate has an interesting way to escape from predators like birds of prey – it leaps from a tree, spreads out a thin flap of skin which acts as a parachute and glides to another tree trunk or the ground. But this adaptation cannot help it against its primary predator, humans.

General Description

The pallid needle-clawed galago strongly resembles a lemur. It has a furry, monkey-like body with a long tail, a pointed head and prominent triangular ears. Fur color can vary from a cinnamon brown to a sandy tan. The belly, chest, inside of the legs and most of the tail are pearl grey to white. A dark colored stripe runs along middle of the back. The eyes are large and owlishly round. Eye color varies from yellow to a reddish orange.

The toes on all four paws have adapted to gripping tree limbs. It also helps the small primate to run down tree trunks like a squirrel. The second toe on the hind legs has a nail slightly different from the other toenails. The pallid needle-clawed galago uses this toe to help groom itself. The teeth on the lower jaw are used as a comb. Adults grow to a weight from 0.59 to 0.79 pounds (270 to 360 grams.)

Life Cycle and Behavior

Pallid needle-clawed galagos are not friendly and live solitary lives. The exception is for related females, which may get together for mutual grooming. Males and females hold individual territories which they guard vigorously. They mark territory with their urine and with loud calls. Males hold larger territories than females. Females give birth to a single baby that already can open their eyes and cling to fur. Females also carry babies around in their mouths.

These animals sleep during the day and search for food at night. They have a very specialized diet – tree sap, resin or gum. They cannot live in mountainous forests because those trees do not produce the type of resin or sap that they need to eat. It is unknown how long these primates live. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Friday 05 September 2014 The Lesser Egyptian Jerboa - an extreme jumper

The Lesser Egyptian Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) is mouse-like in appearance with large eyes and ears with brown and gray fur with a lighter color belly. The animal is very small at only 95 to 110 millimeters long (3.74 to 4.33 inches) and 43 to 73 grams (1.51 to 2.57 ounces) in weight. Despite the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa's small stature, the creature can jump an impressive one meter (3.28 feet) from a standing position and 1.5 meters (4.95 feet) at top speed. It has even been known to travel up to ten kilometers (6.21 miles) in one evening in search of food. This is due to the animal's long bald tail except for a clump of fur at the end for balance and huge feet. Its posture and stride mimics that of a kangaroo. However, unlike a kangaroo, the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa is native to areas in central Asia, Iran, Israel, Sudan and north Africa. It is an especially common animal in Egypt, hence its name.

Since the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa lives in dry desert areas, it lives in burrows in the sand. The animal sleeps during the day and feeds on seeds, grass, grains and even some insects at night. Although the creature's main defense is its swift jumping abilities, it must remain vigilant against faster fox, weasel, and snake predators. Safety may not even be found in its own burrow as these can also become home to scorpions and spiders.

Being a solitary creature, little is known about how it communicates with other Lesser Egyptian Jerboas. In captivity, these animals seem to recognize each other by smell by closing their eyes and touching noses together. They breed twice a year and have liters of three pups at a time. Although the mother will have close contact with her babies in the wild and stay with them in the burrow for eight weeks, breeding in captivity is never successful. For whatever reason, the mother simply refuses to touch her pups after their birth. Yet, Lesser Egyptian Jerboas brought into captivity can live up to six years and tamed as pets. Wild Jerboas can live up to four years. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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