Kielnagelgalagos
| Kielnagelgalagos | ||||||||||||
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Northern keel nail galago ( Euoticus pallidus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Euoticus | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1863 |
The Kielnagelgalagos ( Euoticus ) are a genus of primate from the family of the Galagos (Galagonidae). The genus includes two species, the northern and southern Kielnagelgalago , which live in a small area in central Africa .
features
With a head body length of 18 to 21 centimeters, a tail length of 28 to 31 centimeters and a weight of 270 to 360 grams, Kielnagelgalagos are among the larger representatives of their family. Their dense, soft fur is yellow-gray to red-brown in color, the underside is somewhat lighter. The name-giving feature is the “keel-shaped” nails , which are compact on the sides and pointed at the front, only the first finger has flat nails. These nails are adaptations to their diet consisting of tree sap, as are the broad hands and feet as well as the teeth: the upper incisors stand forward, the lower incisors are elongated and the front premolars are enlarged like canines. As with all Galagos, the eyes and ears are very large.
distribution and habitat
Kielnagelgalagos are native to central Africa, their distribution area extends from southeastern Nigeria to Gabon and the Republic of the Congo . The Sanaga River in Cameroon forms the border between the two species. Their habitat are tropical rainforests.
Way of life
Kielnagelgalagos live exclusively on the trees. They are nocturnal and sleep curled up in the foliage during the day. At night they go in search of food, staying at heights of 5 to 50 meters and almost never reaching the ground. Their diet consists primarily of tree sap. The broad hands and pointed nails are used to hold on to the vertical tree bark, the specialized teeth for gnawing the tree bark. Insects also make up part of their diet, but they rarely eat fruits.
While two to seven animals often spend the day sleeping together, at night they always go for food separately. They are territorial animals and mark their territory with urine.
Systematics
The Kielnagelgalagos are the sister group of all other Galagos . With the northern keel nail galago ( Euoticus pallidus ) and the southern keel nail galago ( Euoticus elegantulus ) two types are distinguished. The two species differ in the color of their fur and in the morphology of the penis .
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2002, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
