Bushbabies, also known as galagos, are small, nocturnal primates native to the woodlands and bushlands of sub-Saharan Africa. Classified as omnivores, their diet is highly flexible, adapting to the specific environment and season. This allows them to thrive across various African habitats, from dense forests to drier savannas. The specific composition of the diet varies significantly between the roughly 20 recognized species.
Primary Components of the Wild Diet
The wild diet of galagos consists of three major food categories: arthropods, plant exudates, and fruits or seeds.
Arthropods, including insects and spiders, provide concentrated protein and fat necessary for their high metabolic rate. Smaller species, such as the lesser bushbaby (Galago senegalensis), are highly insectivorous.
Plant exudates, or tree gums and sap, are a staple component providing carbohydrates and water. This sticky substance is important in arid environments or during dry seasons when other food sources are scarce. Consumption varies by species; thick-tailed bushbabies (Otolemur crassicaudatus) may have a diet composed of over 60% gum.
Fruits, flowers, and seeds offer a rich source of carbohydrates and nutrients. Rainforest species, like Allen’s bushbaby (Sciurocheirus alleni), often consume fallen fruits and the insects found within them.
Specialized Role of Gummivory
Gummivory, the consumption of plant gums, is a defining and specialized aspect of the bushbaby diet. This adaptation is prominent in species like the Mohol bushbaby (Galago moholi), where exudates can make up nearly half of the total food intake. Gum is typically secreted by trees in response to injury, often caused by boring insects, making it a naturally occurring, albeit patchily distributed, food source.
Nutritional Value
Tree gum is predominantly complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) and water. This provides a sustained energy supply and hydration during dry or cold winter months when insect populations crash and fruit is not readily available. Gum also supplies essential minerals, notably calcium, which helps balance the high phosphorus content found in arthropod exoskeletons.
Specialized Feeding Tools
Galagos access gum using a unique anatomical feature: the dental comb. This structure, formed by the forward-tilted lower incisor and canine teeth, is used to scrape hardened gum directly from tree bark, particularly Acacia species. To metabolize the complex sugars, the ingested polysaccharides require specialized digestive mechanisms, including microbial fermentation in the hindgut.
Hunting Techniques and Nocturnal Feeding Habits
Bushbabies are active hunters of live prey, a strategy supported by their nocturnal adaptations. Their large, forward-facing eyes provide excellent night vision, allowing them to navigate and locate prey in low-light conditions. This is complemented by extremely large, mobile ears that move independently to pinpoint the precise location of rustling insects or other small animals.
The physical structure of the galago is optimized for agility and rapid movement within the arboreal environment, a locomotion style known as saltation. They employ a characteristic leap-and-pounce technique, using their powerful hind legs to launch themselves through the canopy to snatch flying insects or pounce on stationary ones. Prey is often caught using their hands and then consumed immediately.
Insects like moths, beetles, and grasshoppers form the bulk of their live prey. Larger species may opportunistically take small vertebrates, such as lizards, small birds, or birds’ eggs. Their diet is highly responsive to local availability; during periods of high insect abundance, their intake of arthropods increases significantly.