Cross River bushbaby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cross River bushbaby
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Strepsirrhini
Family:	Galagidae
Genus:	Sciurocheirus
Species:	S. alleni
Subspecies:	S. a. cameronensis
Trinomial name
Sciurocheirus alleni cameronensis (Peters, 1876)
Map showing range of Cross River bushbaby on the mainland and Allen's bushbaby on Bioko

The Cross River bushbaby, also known as the Cross River squirrel galago, (Sciurocheirus alleni cameronensis) is a type of small primate. It belongs to the Galagidae family. This animal is only found in a specific part of West Africa. It is one of four types of squirrel galago in the Sciurocheirus group.

What Does a Cross River Bushbaby Look Like?

The Cross River bushbaby is a medium-sized bushbaby. Males and females look very similar. Males might be a little bigger than females.

They have a snout that sticks out. A pale grey stripe runs down their nose. This stripe gets wider on their forehead. The fur on their belly is whitish or grey. This color also covers the inside of their legs and their cheeks.

They have large, round, chocolate brown eyes. Black rings surround their eyes. These rings meet between the eyes, forming a mask on their face. Their ears are bare and black. Sometimes, a pale grey ring is at the base of their ears.

The fur on their back is mostly brown. It has some grey hairs mixed in. Their shoulders, sides, and outer front legs are reddish-brown. Their hands and feet have greyish-black pads. Their tail is long, about a fifth longer than their body. It is bushy and dark grey to black. Sometimes, it has a white tip. Their weight is usually between 220g and 355g.

Where Do Cross River Bushbabies Live?

The Cross River bushbaby lives only in a small area of West Africa. This area stretches from the Niger River in southeastern Nigeria. It goes all the way to the Sanaga River in central Cameroon.

You can find them in places like Cross River National Park in Nigeria. They also live in Ebo Wildlife Reserve, Korup National Park, and Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary in Cameroon.

What Kind of Home Do They Like?

Cross River bushbabies live in areas with lots of rain. They prefer primary tropical rainforests. These are old, untouched forests. They live in both lowland forests and mountain forests. They can be found up to 2000 meters high.

They also live in well-grown secondary forests. These are forests that have regrown after being disturbed. They like forests with an open understory. They might even use plantations to find food.

How Do Cross River Bushbabies Live?

The Cross River bushbaby is active at night. It lives mostly in trees. But sometimes, it will look for food on the ground. On the ground, it hunts for fallen fruit and small insects.

They are very good at jumping. They leap from tree to tree. They like to use straight branches or tree trunks to help them jump. They usually look for food quite close to the ground, often within 5 meters. But they have been seen as high as 15 meters up. They often sit in trees above swarms of ants. This helps them catch insects trying to escape the ants.

During the day, they rest in thick tangles of vines. Young bushbabies might stay in these vines while their mother looks for food. They protect their own areas. Both males and females have territories. Their home areas are usually just under 3 hectares.

They are usually alone. However, 2 or 3 bushbabies might move around together. A single male's territory might overlap with 2 to 7 female territories. Some adult females might share sleeping spots. These females are more likely to look for food together. Young females stay in their mother's territory until they are old enough to have babies.

Before mating, both males and females mark the ground or branches with their scent. Mating can last up to an hour. Females usually carry one baby in their mouths for about 45 days. They can have babies throughout the year.