Squirrel Galagos

Squirrel Galagos
	Allen-Galago ( Sciurocheirus alleni )
Systematics
without rank:	Euarchonta
Order :	Primates (Primates)
Subordination :	Wet-nose primates (Strepsirrhini)
Partial order :	Lori-like (Lorisiformes)
Family :	Galagos (Galagonidae)
Genre :	Squirrel Galagos
Scientific name
	Sciurocheirus
	Gray , 1872

The squirrel galagos ( Sciurocheirus ) are a genus of primate from the family of the Galagos (Galagonidae). The genus includes small to medium-sized members of this family, a total of four species that are distributed in Africa in northern Lower Guinea between Niger and Congo .

description

Squirrel galagos are small to medium-sized primates. They reach a head-torso length of 16 to 25 centimeters, a tail length of 20 to 30 centimeters and a weight of 190 to 430 grams. Their fur is gray-brown, the limbs are red-brown. The face is marked by a distinct face mask. A light stripe runs from the forehead to the nose. The big eyes are reddish brown.

The skull is short and wide. The nose is conical and protrudes above the upper lip. Their length is two thirds of the diameter of the eye sockets. Fingers and toes are thin and long, the tail is thick and bushy.

Squirrel Galagos seek their food consisting of insects and fruits mainly on or just above the ground. In bushes and trees they prefer branches and twigs that are almost vertical and climb and jump like tree frogs. In contrast to other Galagos, which first touch down with their feet or with all four limbs at the same time after jumping, the Squirrel Galagos touch down with their hands first.

Systematics

The genus was established in 1872 by the British zoologist John Edward Gray , but the species of this genus were later assigned to the common Galagos ( Galago ) by most authors . Since the giant galagos ( Otolemur ) are the probable sister group of the squirrel galagos, the generic name Sciurocheirus is increasingly being used again.

species

Four species are currently (as of January 2015) placed in the genus Sciurocheirus :

Allen-Galago ( Sciurocheirus alleni )
Cameroon Galago ( Sciurocheirus cameronensis )
Gabon Galago ( Sciurocheirus gabonensis )
Makande bush forest galago ( Sciurocheirus makandensis )

literature

Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold, Jan Kalina (Eds.): Mammals of Africa, Volume II: Primates. A&C Black, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2257-0 .
John Edward Gray: On the Lemurina. In: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for the Year 1872.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Kingdon and others: Mammals of Africa. 2013, p. 417.
↑ ^a ^b Gray: On the Lemurina. 1872, p. 857.
↑ Keriann McGoogan, Tracy Kivell, Matthew Hutchison, Hilary Young, Sean Blanchard, Margaret Keeth, Shawn M. Lehman: Phylogenetic diversity and the conservation biogeography of African primates. In: Journal of Biogeography. 2007.
^ Sciurocheirus Gray, 1872 at ITIS
↑ Lesley Ambrose: Sciurocheirus makandensis sp. nov. In: Thomas Butynski, Jan Kalina (Ed.): Mammals of Africa Volume II: Primates. Bloomsbury, London 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2252-5 , pp. 421-422.

[Kingdon-1] Kingdon and others: Mammals of Africa. 2013, p. 417.

[Gray-2] Gray: On the Lemurina. 1872, p. 857.

[3] Keriann McGoogan, Tracy Kivell, Matthew Hutchison, Hilary Young, Sean Blanchard, Margaret Keeth, Shawn M. Lehman: Phylogenetic diversity and the conservation biogeography of African primates. In: Journal of Biogeography. 2007.

[4] Sciurocheirus Gray, 1872 at ITIS

[5] Lesley Ambrose: Sciurocheirus makandensis sp. nov. In: Thomas Butynski, Jan Kalina (Ed.): Mammals of Africa Volume II: Primates. Bloomsbury, London 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2252-5 , pp. 421-422.