Northern needle-clawed bushbaby

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Northern needle-clawed bushbaby [1]
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Galagidae
Genus: Euoticus
Species:
E. pallidus
Binomial name
Euoticus pallidus
(J. E. Gray, 1863)
Northern Needle-clawed Bushbaby area.png
Northern needle-clawed bushbaby range

The northern needle-clawed bushbaby (Euoticus pallidus) is a species of strepsirrhine primate in the family Galagidae. It is found in the coastal region of Cameroon and Nigeria, and on the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea in lower-elevation forests that provide its specialized diet of tree gum and resins. [2]

Contents

Description

This is a medium-sized species with a head-and-body length of 180 mm (7 in) and a tail of 190 mm (7.5 in). Members of this genus have long limbs and large hands and feet. The fur is woolly and they have short, blunt snouts, large orange eyes and bony ridges surrounding the eyes. The nails on both hands and feet are keeled, and are elongated forward into sharp points. These nails are an adaptation to help provide grip on large branches of trees. The upper parts of this bushbaby, and the outer parts of the limbs, are reddish-grey or reddish-buff, being greyer on the neck, shoulders, arms and tail. Some individuals have a dark greyish-brown dorsal stripe running from the shoulders to the root of the tail. The tail is the same colour as the back, fading gradually to grey near the tip. The underparts are yellowish or whitish-grey. The northern needle-clawed bushbaby differs from the southern needle-clawed bushbaby in having a wide gap between the two upper central incisors, and the nasal bones being narrower at the front and broader behind. Both species differ from other bushbabies in having a single pair of nipples. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The northern needle-clawed bushbaby is endemic to west central Africa where its range extends from the Niger River, in Nigeria, to the Sanaga River in Cameroon. The subspecies E. p. pallidus is present on the island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea, while the subspecies E. p. talboti occurs over the rest of the range. It is found in both primary and secondary moist lowland forest, mostly in the upper and middle parts of the canopy. [2] It also occurs at higher altitudes in high rainfall areas such as Mount Kupe and Mount Cameroon. [3]

Ecology

This bushbaby feeds mainly on gum which exudes from the trunk and branches of trees; this is gathered with a "toothcomb", formed by the enlarged lower incisors. It also feeds on invertebrates, catching them with both hands, and sometimes hanging by two feet while doing so. It clambers about among the branches, sometimes descending the trunk head first. It can make horizontal leaps between trees, or can drop vertically, legs splayed. It forages alone but communicates vocally with others and sleeps communally. Little is known of its reproductive habits. [3]

Status

E. pallidus may be threatened by habitat destruction where its forest habitat has been fragmented by logging and conversion to agriculture. However, part of its range is in protected areas including the Cross River National Park (Nigeria), Korup National Park, and Banyang - Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary (Cameroon), and the Southern Highlands Scientific Reserve (Bioko). The International Union for Conservation of Nature assessed its conservation status in 2008 as being near-threatened but listed its current population trend as "unknown." [2]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Needle-clawed bushbaby</span> Genus of primates

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-eared guenon</span> Species of Old World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested mona monkey</span> Species of Old World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern needle-clawed bushbaby</span> Species of primate

The southern needle-clawed bushbaby is a species of strepsirrhine primate in the family Galagidae. Found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, and possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo, its natural habitat is tropical moist forests. While the species is not threatened or endangered, some local populations may be threatened by habitat destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioko Allen's bushbaby</span> Species of primate

Bioko Allen's bushbaby, also known as the Bioko squirrel galago, is a species of primate in the galago family found in Cameroon, Nigeria, and the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. The bushbaby is currently near-threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant's bushbaby</span> Species of primate

Grant's bushbaby, also known as Grant's lesser bushbaby or the Mozambique lesser bushbaby, is a species of primate in the family Galagidae. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is a common species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusky bushbaby</span> Species of primate

The dusky bushbaby is a species of primate in the family Galagidae. It is also known as Matschie's galago, in honour of the German zoologist Paul Matschie, curator of mammals at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Native to tropical Central Africa, it is found in forests in Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The species is small with a long tail, and has an arboreal, nocturnal and omnivorous lifestyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohol bushbaby</span> Species of primate

The Mohol bushbaby is a species of primate in the family Galagidae which is native to mesic woodlands of the southern Afrotropics. It is physically very similar to the Senegal bushbaby, and was formerly considered to be its southern variety. The two species differ markedly in their biology however, and no hybrids have been recorded in captivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-legged sun squirrel</span> Species of rodent

The red-legged sun squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae, also commonly known as the isabelline red-legged sun squirrel. It is native to tropical western and central Africa where its range extends from Senegal in the west, through Nigeria and the Republic of Congo to Uganda and Tanzania in the east. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and moist savanna. This species is thought to be common and has a very wide distribution, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross River bushbaby</span> Subspecies of primate

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabon bushbaby</span> Species of primate

The Gabon bushbaby is a species of primate in the family Galagidae found in Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. Its head and body length is 8.5 in with a 10-in tail, and it weighs about 10 oz. It lives in evergreen tropical rainforests and eats primarily fallen fruit, but also some arthropods.

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References

  1. Groves, C. P. (2005). "Order Primates". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cronin, D.T.; Oates, J.F.; Butynski, T.M. (2020). "Euoticus pallidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T8266A190233329. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T8266A190233329.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Kingdon, Jonathan; Happold, David; Butynski, Thomas; Hoffmann, Michael; Happold, Meredith; Kalina, Jan (2013). Mammals of Africa. A&C Black. pp. 441–445. ISBN   978-1-4081-8996-2.