Dwarf Galago Feared Extinct Rediscovered in Kenya

A nocturnal primate called the Taita Mountain dwarf galago (Paragalago sp.) has been rediscovered by a team of researchers from the University of Helsinki, Oxford Brookes University and Kenya Forest Service.

The Taita Mountain dwarf galago photographed in Ngangao Forest in 2019. Image credit: Hanna Rosti.

The Taita Mountain dwarf galago photographed in Ngangao Forest in 2019. Image credit: Hanna Rosti.

The Taita Mountain dwarf galago is a tiny nocturnal creature weighing between 100 and 180 grams.

The animal was first reported in 2002 from the Taita Hills, Kenya, but no sightings had been made since.

Finding the small nocturnal dwarf galago is challenging, as the forest canopy is in places up to 50 m high. The animals are spotted with a red light not visible to the animal itself.

“The tropical forest is magically beautiful at night, but one is lucky to catch even a glimpse of the tiny creatures,” said Hanna Rosti, a PhD student at the University of Helsinki.

Dwarf galagos make agile jumps from tree to tree and feed on moths, cicadas and other insects. I have seen them hunting above ground-dwelling safari ants, where they obviously take advantage of insects fleeing from the voracious ants.”

Rosti and colleagues searched for dwarf galagos during January-March and June-August 2019 in the five largest forest fragments of the Taita Hills, but found them only in Ngangao and Mbololo Forests.

In Ngangao Forest, the researchers found only one group of dwarf galagos, comprising less than 10 individuals.

They regularly observed dwarf galagos hunting insects on small trees with a trunk diameter of 2-4 cm. They also observed galagos both descending to the ground and ascending to the forest canopy at 50 m.

In the morning group members made loud incremental calls close to their nest site.

The Ngangao group used several tree hollows as daytime sleeping sites, moving every few days.

“The taxonomy remains unclear. Dwarf galagos are cryptic, nocturnal species that are most easily recognized from their calls,” the scientists said.

“Photographs and recordings of vocalizations suggest that the galago of the Taita Hills is related to the Kenya coast dwarf galago (Paragalago cocos).”

Unfortunately, the tiny mammal seems to be at the verge of extinction.

“The future of Taita Mountain dwarf galagos and other endemic animal and plant species depends on the future of native montane forests of the Taita Hills,” said Professor Jouko Rikkinen, also from the University of Helsinki.

“The conservation status of the forests must be strengthened and their area should be expanded by planting native trees in areas destroyed by cutting and fire. This will protect galago habitats and will ensure that the montane forests continue to provide many vital ecosystem services.”

“The Taita Hills represent a living laboratory, with great possibilities for ground-breaking research and fascinating new findings,” said Professor Petri Pellikka, director of the Taita Research Station.

The team’s paper was published in the journal Oryx.

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Hanna Rosti et al. 2020. Taita Mountain dwarf galago is extant in the Taita Hills of Kenya. Oryx 54 (2): 152-153; doi: 10.1017/S003060531900142X

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