Lesser+bush+babies

Lesser bush babies, also known as galago alleni, is one of the smallest primates in the world. They are about the size of a squirrel. Weighing in at 5 to 10 oz. and measuring seven to eight inches, they really are the smallest primates. They are small, brown grey to light grey animals with a yellowish tint on the sides. Around their eyes, they have a very dark marking. Their eyes are very large and round, giving them good night-vision and bat-like ears which help to track down prey in the dark. When they are jumping through thorn bushes or thick growth, they fold their ears down to protect them. They also do this while sleeping. Their cries and cute appearance may have started the name "bush baby."

These cute, little creatures are found throughout east Africa as well as sub-Saharan Africa in woodlands and bushlands. They do not inhabit any area above 6500 feet. They usually live in tree hollows, though sometimes they make nests in the branches like birds. The most common place for a bush baby to live is in a hole dug into the ground. When living in the trees, they prepare less grass around the tree, most likely as a precaution of forest fires.

When mating, a female can either have a single, twins, or triplets. Each newborn weighs less than half an ounce. For the first few days after birth, the young cling to their mother, and she picks them up with either her hands or mouth. They suckle for about six weeks, and after two months they can feed themselves. The young grow quite rapidly, causing the mother to walk slowly and awkward as she carries them around.

The lesser bush baby is an omnivore, meaning it eats plants, fruits, and animals. The diet of the bush baby isn't strict; They eat whatever is most abundant that time of year, including insects, leaves, and fruit. Their main predators are eagles, owls, genets, and large snakes. When a bush baby is in danger of one of these animals, they make a shrill crying noise, much like the sound of a crying human baby. They also croak, chatter, cluck, or whistle when in danger.