night-ape, noun

Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Translation of Afrikaans nagaap; cf. nagapie.
bush baby.
1895 A.B. Balfour 1200 Miles in Waggon 87This morning I saw two fascinating little creatures in a tree, like lemurs or small monkeys. They don’t usually come out much by day...They are popularly called ‘Night-Apes’.
1899 Girls’ Collegiate School Mag. Sept.Miss Forrest has a nice little night-ape and a canary.
1900 H.A. Bryden Animals of Afr. 14The maholi is invariably called by up-country white colonists in South Africa, the ‘night-ape,’ from the Boer name ‘Nagt-apje.’
1905 W.L. Sclater in Flint & Gilchrist Science in S. Afr. 125The Lemurs..are represented by two species of Galago, the larger (G. garnetti) found in Natal, and the smaller (G. moholi) from the more wooded districts of the Western Transvaal, Bechuanaland and Rhodesia. The latter..is nocturnal in habits, sleeping during the day in a nest or on the branch of a tree...The Dutch term it the Nacht-apje or Night-ape.
c1911 S. Playne Cape Col. 548From its nocturnal activity the Dutch farmers have christened the lemur the nacht-apje, or night-ape.
1959 C. Lagus Operation Noah 175Also known as Bushbabies and Nightapes, Galagos are delightful little lemur-like animals.
1973 N.J. Van der Merwe in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. VIII. 211Night-Apes. Bush-babies, There are two species in Southern Africa, the night-ape or large grey bush-baby (Galago crassicaudatus)..and the common bush-baby (Galago senegalensis)...There is a marked difference in size between the two species. The night-ape..is much bigger than the bush-baby.., its tail is thicker and bushier and its fur much longer.
1990 Skinner & Smithers Mammals of Sn Afr. Subregion 147Galago moholi, A. Smith, 1836...There has never been a complete consensus in the use of a colloquial name for this species, as night ape, lesser galago and bushbaby have all been used.
1991 [see nagapie].
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Afrikaans
night-adder, nounn.night-serpent, nounn.
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