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The facial markings of the different species in the family Galagidae may help them distinguish one individual from another when they come into contact. Galago thomasi individuals use chemical cues extensively. They have a scent gland near the anal region that is used in scent marking to communicate with conspecifics. They also urinate on their cupped hands, then spread the urine on their feet, so it is spread when they walk. This behavior, urine-washing, is more frequent in males than females, and is carried out in a variety of situations. Thomas’s bushbabies also have species-specific calls: they have a rolling call that rises to a crescendo and is then repeated several times. These calls can be used to communicate position to one another as well as to indicate mood. Tactile communication takes the form of nose-to-nose sniffing then nose-to-face contact when conspecifics first encounter each other. They also reciprocally lick each other, depositing saliva and sometimes urine.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
The IUCN lists Galago thomasi as lower risk/least concern. This status is due to their adaptability to different types of environments rather than reliance on primary and secondary rainforests that are being destroyed by humans in Africa for agriculture. With education both for the local people where the animals live and educating the general public on the importance of natural ecosystems Galago thomasi may be able to stay listed as lower risk least concern.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known negative impacts of Thomas’s bushbabies on humans.
Thomas’s bushbabies do not play any major economic roles for humans. They may provoke some interest by ecotourists, but they are active at night and rarely observed.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism
Thomas’s bushbabies help to disperse seeds of the fruits that they eat. They also presumably serve as prey for smaller forest carnivores and regulate arthropod communities through their predation. Trypanosomes have been found in the blood of Thomas’s bushbabies in Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Like other galagos, Thomas’s bushbabies eat a variety of foods, but are primarily insectivorous. They consume small vertebrates and insects, fruit, tree buds and leaves, as well as tree gums. They use their large ears to listen for insects and small vertebrates and have been known to catch insects in mid-air.
Animal Foods: reptiles; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; sap or other plant fluids
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore ); omnivore
The range of Thomas’s bushbabies extends from Cote d'Ivoire through Cameroon, Angola, and Congo-Zaire to Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia, and possibly northern Kenya around Mount Marsabit. They may occur in several other African countries but due to recent taxonomic changes this has yet to be clarified.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Thomas’s bushbabies are found in a variety of different habitats, including primary and secondary forests, marshy areas, gallery forest, savanna, and open woodlands such as miombo. They inhabit both lowland forests and highland forest and wooded areas up to 2000 meters.
Range elevation: 2000 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest ; mountains
Wetlands: marsh ; swamp
Other Habitat Features: riparian
The lifespan of Galago thomasi is not reported in the literature. The closely related Galago demidoff has been known to live 13 years in the captivity.
Thomas’s bushbabies are brownish-grey with grey underparts, prominent dark eye patches, narrow faces, and dark rostra. Thomas’s bushbabies resemble Prince Demidoff’s bushbabies (Galago demidoff). Although not typically visible in the field, a distinguishing feature is the genital morphology of Thomas’s bushbabies, which differs from all other members of the Galagidae family. The body length of Galago thomasi averages 146 mm, with a range of 123 to 166 mm, tail length averages 261 mm, ranging from 150 to 233 mm. Thomas’s bushbabies weigh, on average, 99 g, but varies in weight from 55 to 149 g. Males are larger than females.
Range mass: 55 to 149 g.
Average mass: 99 g.
Range length: 123 to 166 mm.
Average length: 146 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Because of their small size, Thomas’s bushbabies are likely to be preyed on by nocturnal predators such as small carnivores and owls. During the daytime, even though they sleep in small tree hollows or crevices, galagos are not always safe from predators. Common chimpanzees Pan troglodytes have been observed using a stick as a spear in order to reach a sleeping Galago demidoff in its nest and it seems likely they would prey upon G. thomasi as well. Arboreal snakes may also be a threat.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Studies of the reproductive behavior of Galago thomasi are lacking. In other members of the family Galagidae for which data are available, the mating systems consist of polygynous multi-male groups. Male galagos have a baculum, and there are typically species-specific differences in penile morphology among the Galagidae.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Although data are lacking for G. thomasi, other galagos, such as Galago demidoff, breed year-round. Typically they reproduce between January and April. Information on the gestation period and the number of offspring born are not available for Galago thomasi, however, in Galago demidoff females have a gestation period of 111 to 114 days and one young at a time. Offspring in G. demidoff are weaned at around 53 days of age and reach sexual maturity at an age of 8 to 10 months.
Breeding interval: Thomas's bushbabies breed year round.
Breeding season: Although Thomas's bushbabies breed year round, most births occur from January through April.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
There is no information currently on parental investment in G. thomasi and whether or not there are male and female contributions to the care of offspring. In other Galago species females primarily care for the young and generally hide them in a protected spot while they forage. Males may provide some indirect care for young through protecting foraging areas and there is some evidence that males may associate with females and their young on occasion.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
Thomas's bushbaby (Galagoides thomasi) is a species of primate in the family Galagidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.[2]
Thomas's bushbaby (Galagoides thomasi) is a species of primate in the family Galagidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
