Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi - Verreaux's Sifaka

RANGE and DISTRIBUTION: Dry and spiny forests of southern and southwest Madagascar from the Tsiribihina River to Andohahela. Easily seen at Berenty and Andohahela.

SIZE: 3 to 4 kg

IUCN Status: Vulnerable

LOCAL NAMES: Sifaka

NOTES:

Sifakas feed on leaves, fruit and flowers. Verreaux's sifaka is the most common species of sifaka. At home in the trees, sifakas are powerful jumpers but on the ground they are somewhat awkward due to their splayed feet. Since trees in their habitat are often dispersed, sifakas cross open ground by sashaying on their hind legs with arms aloft. They are often known as ""dancing lemurs"". Sifakas also have the remarkable ability to leaping from tree to tree in the spiny forest where virtually every branch is covered with thorns or spines.

WILDMADAGASCAR.ORG
WildMadagascar.org aims to raise interest in Madagascar, a land of cultural and biological richness

Madagascar Madagascar Pictures Madagascar News People of Madagascar

About the site Educational materials Help Madagascar In French

SUPPORT
You can help support wildmadagascar.org by using this link to buy from Amazon.com.

Beautifully illustrated with full color photographs throughout, Madagascar Wildlife is a celebration of the unique fauna of a remarkable island and the perfect accompaniment to Bradt's popular general travel guide, Madagascar.

RECENT NEWS
Dell becomes carbon neutral by saving endangered lemurs
(08/06/2008)Every year as much as one-third of Dell, the world's largest computer maker, announced it has become the first major technology company to achieve carbon neutrality.

Population of critically endangered lemurs discovered in Madagascar
(7/22/2008) Scientists in Madagascar have discovered a population of greater bamboo lemurs (Prolemur simus), a critically endangered species of primate, in an area more than 400 kilometers away from its only known refuge, reports conservation International.

Lemurs are key to health of Madagascar's rainforests
(06/12/2008) Lemurs play a key role in the health of Madagascar's tropical rainforests said a renowned primatologist speaking at a meeting of conservation biologists in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Madagascar signs big carbon deal to fund rainforest conservation
(06/11/2008> Madagascar will sell more than nine million tons of carbon offsets to fund rainforest conservation in a newly established protected area. conservationists say the deal protect endangered wildlife, promote sustainable development to improve the economic well-being of people living in and around the park area, and help fight global warming.

Conservation is saving lemurs and helping people in Madagascar
(5/7/2007) Madagascar, an island nation that lies off the coast of southeastern Africa, has long been famous for its unique and diverse species of wildlife, especially lemurs--primates found nowhere else on the planet. In recent years, the island country has also become world-renowned for conservation efforts that are succeeding in spite of extraordinary pressures from a poor population that relies heavily on forest burning for basic subsistence. A large part of this success is due to the early efforts of Patricia Wright, a primatologist who has been working in the country for more than 20 years. Wright led the effort to launch the country's leading protected area and helped Madagascar become a leading global example of conservation despite its economic adversity.

More news

GEAR