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Glite Dictionary
galago

galago

1 9.9
A small African primate with large eyes, big ears, and a long tail that is active at night
  • noun
  • /ɡəˈleɪɡoʊ/
  • South African
translation icon : galago
  • The more we came to know the behavioral ecology and vocalizations of one population of galago and moved on to the next, the more we realized that different species have been lumped together under the same name.
  • dwarf galago
  • galago species
  • galagos in Africa

Examples

  • Found in sub-Saharan Africa, galagos live everywhere, from woodland savanna to primary rain forest.

    Academic text (1995)

  • During the night, the galago's large eyes help it navigate through dense foliage to find food.

  • We also expect to find out which galago populations and species are most in need of conservation.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Galago calls also appear to vary depending on an animal's physical situation.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Other calls made by this largest of the galagos express various degrees of anxiety and fear.

    Academic text (1995)

  • And if we have so seriously underestimated the number of galago species, how much have we missed in less well-known groups of animals?

    Academic text (1995)

  • Fossil remains in Kenya show galagos have existed for at least 20 million years.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Among the most vocal of these animals are the galagos, little primates, some small enough to fit neatly into the palm of my hand.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Making their way through the trees, galagos hang, hop, run, and make prodigious leaps, sometimes spanning fifteen feet in a single bound.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Working with captive lesser galagos in South Africa, Annette Andersson of the Department of Psychology, Witwatersrand University, was the first to recognize specific calls.

    Academic text (1995)

Synonyms

bush baby
vsgalago
  • South African
1 8.4

A small animal from Africa that is active at night with big eyes and a long tail

is the same meaning but written as one word
bushbaby
vsgalago
  • South African
9.3

A small African night animal like a monkey with big eyes, big ears and a long tail

is the same meaning but written as two words

Compounds

genus Galago
  • Specialized
9.9

A small primate active at night, like a bush baby from Africa

Surface Forms

galago singular
galagos plural

Etymology

Galago probably comes from a West African name for the animal that was picked up by European visitors. That local name was used for the small, night-active primate we now call a 'bush baby', so galago is the same name brought into English for this big-eyed, long-tailed creature.