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The Thick-Tailed Bushbaby is the largest of the three galago, or bushbaby, species which occur in southern Africa: the other two are the lesser bushbaby and Grant's bushbaby. The thick-tailed bushbaby has good sight, scent and hearing, and is well adapted to its habitat of trees. The sense of smell is useful for distinguishing tracks and territorial boundaries, which are marked with a secretion from glands in the middle of the chest. Their good hearing not only helps warn this bushbaby of approaching owls and other predators, but it assists the creature to detect the delicate sounds of its own animal prey, which consists of lizards and small birds. Their heads are small for their bodies, and are rounded with huge eyes and large, labile, sensitive ears. There is a large colour variation, but they are predominantly grey. As the name suggests, the tail is 'thick' and bushy, and is usually a lighter and buffier colour than the upper parts. Their fur is long, fine and soft. The thick-tailed bushbaby is mostly vegetarian: they eat fruit, nuts, leaves and the gum of certain trees; but they also eat a fair proporation of insects and other invertebrates, and occasionally even reptiles and birds. Bushbaby's groom themselves before setting out at night by using their lower front teeth for combing, the long thin tongue for preening and the claw on the second digit of each hindfoot for scratching. They are sporadically active throughout the night, although they have periods of inactivity, and one of these appears to be around midnight. They wash the soles of their feet with urine: this assists in marking territory, as well as making their feet more adhesive for tree-climbing purposes. The Thick-Tailed Bushbaby's call is a harsh and repetitive wail which resembles the squalling of a baby in a tantrum: it is this sound that gives the bushbaby its name. In the daytime, the bushbaby rests among thick foliage high above the ground; a habit that makes it vulnerable to fires. They form relatively stable groups, sleeping alone or in groups of 2 - 6, and then foraging at night either solitarily or in these groups. Groups may have up to 12 resting places within their home ranges. The young are born in nests which are relined with fresh green leaves and twigs shortly before their birth. During the early part of their lives the mother will carry them in her mouth; suckling and carrying cease after about 10 weeks and the young move independently after 17 weeks. |
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