You might wake up in the wee hours to their deafening screams, or you might see their bright eyes darting around in the beam of your torch. Similar to a distressed baby’s cries. In any case, galagos, another name for bushbabies, are difficult to observe.

There are at least eighteen species of these small primates, which scientists have only lately discovered. They consist of 15 squirrel-sized lesser galagos and three larger, thicker-tailed greater galagos.

Here are some fascinating facts that can catch your attention:

The prosimian group of primates, which also includes the lorises of Asia and the lemurs of Madagascar, includes bushbabies. They are believed to have become nocturnal in order to avoid competing with their larger primate kin, having developed before monkeys.

These animals jump from tree to tree, marking their territory by urinating on their hands and dispersing their scent.

They have incredibly strong back leg muscles, which allow them to clear up to 2.5 meters in a single jump. One quarter of the animal’s weight is made up of these muscles.

They can hunt insects in the dark and capture them in midair thanks to their delicate bat-like hearing. Bushbabies shield their ears by folding them back when they jump between prickly shrubs.
They can scrape gum from acacia trees thanks to unique incisor teeth that resemble combs. A significant portion of their diet consists of tree gum.