bush baby, noun phrase
- Origin:
- See quotation 1884.
Any of the lemur-like primates of the Lorisidae, especially Otolemur crassicaudatus and Galago moholi; nagapie; night-aappie; night-ape.
- Note:
- Some specialist sources see ‘bush baby’ and ‘night-ape’ as synonymous, referring to both local species of the Lorisidae; others advocate the use of ‘night-ape’ for the thick-tailed bushbaby Otolemur crassicaudatus, and ‘bush baby’ for the smaller Galago moholi; while yet a third view is that the ‘bush baby’ is O. crassicaudatus, and the ‘night-ape’ G. moholi. In general usage the words are used interchangeably.
1990 Skinner & Smithers Mammals of Sn Afr. Subregion 145The colloquial names bushbaby for this species and night ape for the smaller species are commonly used in the Subregion.
Any of the lemur-like primates of the Lorisidae, especially Otolemur crassicaudatus and Galago moholi; nagapie; night-aappie; night-ape.
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