Mongoose lemur

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Mongoose lemur
Mongoose lemur at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Lemuridae
Genus: Eulemur
Species:
E. mongoz
Binomial name
Eulemur mongoz
Distribution of E. mongoz:[1]
red = native, green = introduced
Synonyms
  • Lemur albimanus É. Geoffroy, 1812
  • Lemur anjuanensis É. Geoffroy, 1812
  • Lemur cuvieri Fitzinger, 1870
  • Lemur dubius F. Cuvier, 1834
  • Lemur johannae Trouessart, 1904
  • Lemur mongoz Linnaeus, 1758
  • Lemur nigrifrons É. Geoffroy, 1812
  • Lemur houssardii Boitard, 1842
  • Prosimia brissonii Lesson, 1840
  • Prosimia bugi Lesson, 1840
  • Prosimia macromongoz Lesson, 1840
  • Prosimia micromongoz Lesson, 1840
  • Prosimia ocularis Lesson, 1840

The mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz) is a small

critically endangered
".

Description

The mongoose lemur ranges in size from 12 to 18 in (300 to 460 mm) long plus a tail of 16 to 25 in (410 to 640 mm). Both sexes are born with white beards, but become obviously dimorphic around six weeks of age when the males develop red beards and red cheeks. The males also have lighter faces than the females.[4] Males may further distinguish themselves when scent-marking territory, as they occasionally develop a bald patch on top of their heads from rubbing.[5]

Male below, female above

Distribution

The mongoose lemur lives in dry deciduous forests on the island of Madagascar and in the humid forests on the islands of the Comoros. This makes the mongoose lemur one of only two lemurs found outside of Madagascar,[4] though it is an introduced species in the Comoros.[6][7]

Ecology

The mongoose lemur mostly eats fruit, though flowers, leaves, and nectar also make up part of its diet; (they may use the nectar of the non-native kapok tree,

nocturnal, depending on the season, being more active during the day in the wet season and changing activity to the night during the hotter dry season.[4]

Mongoose lemurs are

arboreal, with the ability to jump several meters from one tree to another.[4] They live in small family groups, usually consisting of a bonded pair and one to three offspring.[5] These groups rarely encounter one another, but when they do, they are aggressive.[6] Young are born just prior to the rainy season, from August to October.[6] Gestation lasts about four months and weaning takes place around five months after the young are born. The offspring then usually stay with their parents until three years of age, when they have reached full maturity.[5]

Mongoose lemurs have seasonal habits. Their breeding, eating, and activity habits are largely shaped around the season. Seasonal fluctuations in food resource availability describe the behavior of mongoose lemurs such as female dominance and small group size. Mongoose lemurs usually conceive their offspring some time during October. They present as Nocturnal during the dry season and diurnal during the wet season.[11]

Status

Captive mongoose lemurs can live up to 26 years, while wild specimens live 18–20 years.[5] Mongoose lemurs in the wild are threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of the forests in which they live, and also by hunting. Their numbers have dwindled by about 80% over a period of 25 years, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as "critically endangered".[1] Mongoose lemurs are more endangered in Madagascar, but there could be a way to conserve them in Comoros because of the increase of these species' population in the area. People should continue to work together and protect these critically endangered species.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ C. pentandra, although not native to Madagascar have been used for reforestation on the island.[8][9]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T8202A115561431.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. OCLC 62265494
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e Chicago Zoological Society - Brookfield Zoo's Mongoose Lemur page Archived 2010-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b c d Bristol Zoo - Mongoose Lemur Archived 2010-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b c d "ARKive - Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz)". Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  7. PMID 12719521
    .
  8. S2CID 237889124
    .
  9. PMID 35214854
    .
  10. PMID 34679832
    .
  11. ^ "Mongoose Lemur". Duke Lemur Center.
  12. S2CID 86069333
    .

External links

Data related to Eulemur mongoz (Mongoose Lemur) at Wikispecies

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