Demidoff’s dwarf galago  (Galagoides demidovii)

The unusually large eyes and ears of Demidoff’s dwarf galago are essential adaptations to its nocturnal lifestyle (8). Hunting during the night, it uses its acute senses to follow inconspicuous prey through the dense foliage (2) (8). Small insects, such as beetles and moths, form the bulk of its diet, but it will also forage for fruits and gums (2). The day is spent sleeping in fully enclosed leaf nests or in tangles of vegetation, anywhere from 5 to 40 metres off the ground (2) (9). Usually these nests are occupied by a single galago but occasionally two or three females will share a nest with their young. Males, on the other hand, are extremely aggressive towards one another, and seek to control exclusive home ranges that overlap those of as many females as possible. Generally it is the heavier males that control the largest territories (2).

The female usually has just one pregnancy each year, lasting around 133 days. The tiny infant weighs just 5 to 10 grams at birth, but after a month is normally able to follow its mother on foraging bouts. The young is weaned at around 6 weeks and reaches sexual maturity at around 8 to 11 months (2).