Lesser Bush Baby Husbandry Guidelines

Natural History and Physical Description

TAXONOMY

Kingdom:  Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Suborder: Strepsirrhini

Family: Galagidae

Genus: Galago

Species: G. moholi

Life span: 2-4 years in the wild, mid-teens in captivity
Total population: Unknown
Regions: sub-Saharan Africa
Gestation: about 124 days
Height: 5.1 to 7.8 in (male & female)
Weight: 142-250 grams (male & female)

The Moholi bushbaby is native to the mesic woodlands of the Southern Afrotropics. They are often associated with the Acacia Trees grown in this region which provide an important dietary staple. In general, bushbabies are small, woolly, long-tailed primates with mobile, oversized naked ears (Kingdon 2004). They are one of the smallest primates and have a soft, yet thick, coat of greyish brown fur. They have large, orange, fixed eyes and posses the largest ears, proportionally to body size, of all primates. They primarily move through their environment by quadrupedal movement (19.8%), leaping (54.1 %), hopping (2.9%) and climbing (16.8%) (Crompton 1983). They are vertical clingers and leapers. Leaps can cover significant distances, up to and sometimes greater than 2.5 m (8.2 ft) (Charles-Dominique 1977a; Butynski & de Jong 2004). Bushbabies are nocturnal and spend their nights resting (4.5%), traveling (25%), foraging (63.9%), engaged in social activities (5.9-18%) and in other activities (0.6%) (G. moholi) (Doyle & Bearder 1977; Nekaris & Bearder 2007). Activity starts right around sunset and ends around dawn with the most active periods are right after dark and directly preceding dawn (Molez 1976; Doyle & Bearder 1977). The Bushbabies can vary in their preferences of sleeping site types. Some prefer to sleep in tree hollows while others may use old bird's nests, unoccupied beehives, and can use more than a dozen different sleeping sites within its home range during a year (Bearder & Doyle 1974a). Conservation Status of Least Concern with stable population size.

Captive Diet

Our practice is to feed twice a day, or even three, when possible. Food is commonly offered scattered around the enclosure. For this species, scattering food in many different places and heights around the enclosure is key to ensuring all group members have access to food and are able to hunt and capture prey; simulating natural feeding behaviors.

The current standard diet for G.Moholi at the DLC:

20 mealworms

12 wax worms

8 crickets

5 grams of low glycemic vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cherry tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, collards, kale, spinach, chard)

3 pieces of Mazuri Folivore Chow

2 grams of Gum of Arabic

We do not allow fruit, sugar or high glycemic foods to be given to the bushbabies.

We also utilize different enrichment techniques and tools to encourage natural feeding behaviors. (see section on enrichment)

The Galago Moholi are currently housed with related females, breeding pairs or dam and offspring. Males are housed either with a breeding female or alone. They live in nocturnal rooms with a 12-hour light cycle. White lights are on from 12 am to 12 noon. At noon, when the white lights have gone out, we use a red light in the rooms for the keepers to see. It is during the white light phase that we do our cleaning. The bushbabies are kept in rooms without shavings or any other sub straight that might prevent them from easily getting to their diet. We use a broom to sweep up any feces, food, paper from enrichment, etc. The floors are given a hot water rinse weekly and sanitized and scrubbed every 6 weeks.

In captivity, this species is most often housed with related female pairs, breeding pairs or dams and their offspring. It is not recommended to house males of this species together due to aggressive behavior. Mixed species have been successful when a compatible individual of the same species isn't available. The DLC  has had success housing the G.Moholi in a mixed species setting with Aye Aye, Slow Loris, Pygmy Slow Loris, Slender Loris, Pottos, Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemurs and Mirza. The most common housing  arrangement at the DLC has been related female groups.

In the wild, G.Moholi have a polygynous mating system with territory of dominant males overlapping that of several females (Harcourt and Bearder, 1989). Females have a brief estrous period, lasting 1 to 3 days, during which males become highly competitive, increasing their home range, body weight, and testes volume. Males appear to fall into two distinct mating strategy groups, larger and more dominant males who monopolize females with repeated matings and smaller males who are more opportunistic. Larger males procure more successful matings. Female G. moholi exhibit estrus swellings and do not have synchronized fertility. ("Southern lesser bush baby, South African galago Galago moholi", 2009; Gron, 2008; Pullen, 2004. Females and males become sexually mature around 300 days old. There are two mating seasons a year corresponding to births between January and February and between October and November. They may give birth to 2 sets of twins a year. Females construct nests in which to give birth to and raise their offspring. They may make their own, open-topped nest, or take over an uninhabited bird nest, mat of foliage, or tree hollow. After a 121-to-124 day gestation period, females give birth to offspring weighing approximately 10 grams that have their eyes open and are furred. Females often give birth to a single offspring at their first pregnancy, then produce twins in subsequent litters. The mother carries the babies by the scruff of their necks for the first 50 days. Weaning occurs after approximately 93 days. ("Southern lesser bush baby, South African galago Galago moholi", 2009; Pullen, 2004; "Southern lesser bush baby, South African galago Galago moholi", 2009; de Magalhaes, et al., 2009; Pullen, 2004; "Southern lesser bush baby, South African galago Galago moholi", 2009; de Magalhaes, et al., 2009; Pullen, 2004) Females nurse their offspring for about 11 weeks though young may begin to catch insects at 4 weeks of age. Mothers will park their infants in tree forks or tangles of vegetation while they forage. The offspring will cling quietly and unmoving for up to three hours, being checked on occasionally by the mother. If the infant is in danger or left alone too long it will emit distress calls which quickly summon the mother. The female will carry the offspring to a safer location if she senses threat. Around 10 months the young reach sexual maturity at which point males will emigrate. Females often stay with their mothers longer. Males do not directly participate in caring for the offspring. (Gron, 2008).

Captive Breeding

When a breeding pair has been introduced it is important to check the female for cycling on a regular basis. With the female in hand, usually during the white light phase of their day, you will notice if the vulva is open or closed. An open vulva that may contain white discharge is the sign that the female is in estrus. capturing this data will give you the best estimation of a due date. Baby watch should begin approximately one week before the estimated due date. Remove or separate the sire (this may mean shifting the sire to an adjacent cage or moving him out to a different area entirely). Rooms should be washed the approximately 2 weeks before baby watch starts and then remain undisturbed for two weeks. At the DLC we utilize a rolling cage for her birth inside the room. Birth cages should be made of the small ½ x ½ inch vinyl coated wire. Branch the cage simply and include two nest sites, both at eye level height. Two nest boxes are provided, including nest material (paper towel strips, paper strips, fleece squares, bamboo, mimosa or pine boughs). The dam should be weighed prior to the start of baby watch. Water in birth cages should be provided in a small, shallow water bowl on a shelf above the nest box with just enough water to cover the bottom but not enough for infants to drown. Other non-nest material enrichment can be provided as usual.

During baby watch, check baby cage in the AM when white lights are on. Do not touch the nest box or disturb the dam. Visually check the cage and any loose nest material on the cage floor for a stranded or injured infant. When lights are off, at regular feeding time, visually check the birth cage in the same manner. If the dam does not come out to eat at her regular time, leave the room and notify supervisors about a possible infant. Do not enter the room multiple times or more than is absolutely necessary. Please move carefully into and out of the room. It is extremely rare to observe parturition in this species. Subtle behavioral changes such as decreased appetite or activity or reluctance to train in expectant females may be a sign of impending labor or a sign of problems with labor or delivery. If you suspect the dam has delivered, wait to check the nest until she comes out on her own. When she does, quietly peek into the box to confirm if infants are present. Do not tempt the female out of the nest with food or encourage her to leave the nest. Similarly, the nest box should only be removed from the cage if something is obviously wrong such as the presence of blood in the nest or a dead infant. Do not handle an infant if the dam is in the process of moving it or attending to it.

Increase the dam's diet by 50% on the day infants are discovered (or suspected). Split the diet in 2 portions with the first portion fed at 12 PM just before lights out and the second fed as late in the day as possible. It is acceptable to give the mother extra veggies, fruit, or juice in a shallow bowl on the day she delivers.

Dams are usually first weighed at ~ 3 weeks post-partum. However, if she is coming out of the nest box frequently and seems hungry, is low body condition, or there are concerns for her health she may be weighed earlier. (Please see section on weights for more detailed info)

Ideal adult weight range:

150-250 grams with males being the heaviest.

DLC weight schedule:

Week 1 of birth: weigh at days 3  and 6 of birth (or as directed)

Weeks 2-4: twice weekly

Month 2: once weekly

Month 3: every 2 weeks (as adults)

Extra food enrichment is not used with this species; however, we often use their diets in different ways as enrichment. Worms and or crickets can presented in slow feeders, hanging feeders, paper cups, bags or bowls. Anything to encourage foraging, hunting, and other natural feeding behaviors. Gum can be spread on branches, sticks, wood, coconut shells, paper, cardboard, etc. and can even be frozen as sensory enrichment. Ferret bags, hammocks, buckets, and other small nocturnal sleeping spots are offered and removed to be washed on a weekly basis. Nature sounds or white noise machines and scent enrichment have also been used with varying levels of interest. Training sessions remain the most stimulating enrichment for bushbabies. We have done scale training, kennel training, point follow locomotion, voluntary cycle checking and tail tactile training with the bushbabies.