Sifaka
| Sifakas | |
|---|---|
| |
| Coquerel's sifaka (P. coquereli) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Indriidae |
| Genus: | Propithecus Bennett, 1832[1] |
| Type species | |
| Propithecus diadema Bennett, 1832
| |
| Diversity | |
| 9 species | |
| |
| Combined distribution of Propithecus[3] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
A sifaka (
Anatomy and physiology
Sifakas are medium-sized indriids with a head and body length of 40 to 55 cm (16 to 22 in) and a weight of 3 to 6 kg (6.6 to 13.2 lb). Their tail is just as long as their body, which differentiates them from the
Sifakas move by vertical clinging and leaping, meaning they maintain an upright position leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk and moving along branches. They are skillful climbers and powerful jumpers, able to make leaps up to 10 m (32.8 ft) from one tree to the next. On the ground, they move like all indrids, with bipedal, sideways hopping movements of the hind legs, holding their fore limbs up for balance.
Sifakas are herbivores, eating leaves, flowers, and fruits. When not searching for food, they spend a good part of the day sunbathing, stretched on the branches. Sifakas live in larger groups than the other indrids (up to 13 animals). They have a firm territory, which they mark with scent glands. Edges of different sifaka territories can overlap. Though they defend their territory from invasion by others of their species, they may peacefully co-exist with other lemur species such as the red-bellied lemur and the common brown lemur. Successful invasions are known to result in death of male members, group takeover, and infanticide.[9]
Predators of the sifaka include the
A four- to five-month gestation period ends with the birth of a single offspring in July. The young holds fast to the mother's belly when small, but then later is carried on her back. Young are weaned after about six months and reach full maturity at the age of two to three years. The life expectancy of the sifakas is up to 20 years.[12]
Threats
Conservative estimates show that the utilization of fire for slash and burn cultivation, cattle raising, logging, and mining activities has contributed to the loss of 52% of the forested land since the 1950s, impacting the survival of sifakas. For instance, Perrier's sifaka relies solely on vast forest cover, so little to no institutions are addressing these threats or the species' conservation status.[13]
Classification
_range_map.svg)
_range_map.svg)
- Family Indriidae
- Genus Indri
- Genus Avahi
- Genus Propithecus[14]
- P. diadema group
- Diademed sifaka, P. diadema
- Milne-Edwards's sifaka, P. edwardsi
- Silky sifaka, P. candidus
- Perrier's sifaka, P. perrieri
- P. verreauxi group
- Coquerel's sifaka, P. coquereli
- Verreaux's sifaka, P. verreauxi
- Von der Decken's sifaka, P. deckenii
- Crowned sifaka, P. coronatus
- Golden-crowned sifaka, P. tattersalli
- P. diadema group
-
P. coquereli -
P. diadema -
P. candidus -
P. edwardsi
References
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- ^ "IUCN 2014". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-107-01608-8.
- ^ "Almost a third of lemurs and North Atlantic Right Whale now Critically Endangered - IUCN Red List". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ISBN 978-84-96553-89-7.
- ^ "Coquerel's Sifaka". Duke University Lemur Center. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ "Coquerel's Sifaka". St. Louis Zoo. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- PMID 19324777.
- ^ "Descriptions and articles about the Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
- ^ "Bring it on: Sifaka lemurs take down a three-metre boa in Madagascar | predator-vs-prey | Earth Touch News". Retrieved 2015-09-29.
- ^ "Coquere's Sifaka". New England Primate Conservancy. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- S2CID 17919181.
- S2CID 22899861.
External links
