When I’m at home (which is not too often), I live in a bushbaby sanctuary which remarkably is located in the middle of the city. The developers of this townhouse complex rose to the challenge of incorporating wildlife into city living. Having identified the site, it was discovered that a naturally occurring population of lesser bushbabies (Galago maholi) were already in residence there. Instead of merely flattening the area for construction, the bushbabies were taken into ‘protective custody’ for the duration of building and sections of the natural bush preserved for their release back into their habitat once construction was complete. Subsequently gardens were planted comprising only indigenous vegetation including transplanted trees of the variety crucial for the survival of the VIP residents and these are connected via the residents’ gardens by ropes along which the small primates scamper like tight-rope walkers each evening on their way to feed.
Bushbabies are amazingly adapted for their nocturnal, arboreal lifestyles. They have enormous eyes with expanding pupils that allow for the collection of light in poor light conditions. Their eyes are so large that they are immovable in their sockets and to compensate bushbabies can rotate their heads 180 degrees (much like a bird) to look over their shoulders. They are able to bulge their eyeballs to gain focus of an object. There is a highly reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum in the back of the eye which shines reddish in torchlight. This also facilitates night time vision. Remarkably for nocturnal creatures, bushbabies have a high percentage of colour cone cells on the retina.
Bushbabies have long whiskers (vibrissae) near the eyes to help them detect nearby objects and so protect the eyes while foraging in the dark. The membranous ears are also moveable and can be swivelled independently or simultaneously to pick up sounds or can be folded back out of harms way. Bushbabies’ hearing is so acute that they are able to locate insects on sound alone even snapping gnats out of the air with their hands. They in fact jump upon prey with their eyes closed so as not to get flailing insect parts in them.
The bushbabies brilliant leaping ability is effected by enlarged powerful hind legs and the long tail is used for power and balance. Primate-like hands and feet with nailed fingers and dexterous thumbs and toes assist with grip. The ends of the digits are padded with soft friction pads as well as the palm of the hands and the soles of the feet. These also help with grip and with capturing prey. They are able to land and grip with just their feet to keep their hands free for grasping prey. Bushbabies can leap horizontally up to 4m and vertically almost 2m. They can cover many meters (ten yards) in just a few seconds and more than a kilometre in a night with these impressive leaps and bounds. On the ground, bushbabies hop like miniature kangaroos. They have taken to doing this along the perimeter walls if roping across the garden becomes too mundane!
Bushbabies are amazingly adapted for their nocturnal, arboreal lifestyles. They have enormous eyes with expanding pupils that allow for the collection of light in poor light conditions. Their eyes are so large that they are immovable in their sockets and to compensate bushbabies can rotate their heads 180 degrees (much like a bird) to look over their shoulders. They are able to bulge their eyeballs to gain focus of an object. There is a highly reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum in the back of the eye which shines reddish in torchlight. This also facilitates night time vision. Remarkably for nocturnal creatures, bushbabies have a high percentage of colour cone cells on the retina.
Bushbabies have long whiskers (vibrissae) near the eyes to help them detect nearby objects and so protect the eyes while foraging in the dark. The membranous ears are also moveable and can be swivelled independently or simultaneously to pick up sounds or can be folded back out of harms way. Bushbabies’ hearing is so acute that they are able to locate insects on sound alone even snapping gnats out of the air with their hands. They in fact jump upon prey with their eyes closed so as not to get flailing insect parts in them.
The bushbabies brilliant leaping ability is effected by enlarged powerful hind legs and the long tail is used for power and balance. Primate-like hands and feet with nailed fingers and dexterous thumbs and toes assist with grip. The ends of the digits are padded with soft friction pads as well as the palm of the hands and the soles of the feet. These also help with grip and with capturing prey. They are able to land and grip with just their feet to keep their hands free for grasping prey. Bushbabies can leap horizontally up to 4m and vertically almost 2m. They can cover many meters (ten yards) in just a few seconds and more than a kilometre in a night with these impressive leaps and bounds. On the ground, bushbabies hop like miniature kangaroos. They have taken to doing this along the perimeter walls if roping across the garden becomes too mundane!
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