Lemur News

Say hello to Madagascar’s newest mouse lemur, a pint-sized primate
- A new species of mouse lemur, considered the tiniest primates in the world, has been described from Madagascar.
- Microcebus jonahi is named for prominent Malagasy primatologist Jonah Ratsimbazafy, who has dedicated his life to studying and protecting Madagascar’s endemic lemurs.
- Scientists fear the species is already at risk of disappearing like almost all of the 107 other species of lemurs, primates that are native to Madagascar.
- Jonah’s mouse lemurs are found in an area half the size of Yosemite National Park, in a region where forests are fast disappearing.

Endangered and endemic: Madagascar’s lemurs susceptible to coronavirus infection
- Certain species of lemurs in Madagascar share a similar enzyme receptor to humans that could make them susceptible to contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, a study shows.
- Following calls from the scientific community both on the island and abroad, an emergency unit is being set up to strengthen the protection of lemurs in the face of the virus.
- To date, there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in lemurs.
- The possibility of the virus spreading among lemurs, most of which are endangered species, worries researchers.

A third of Madagascar’s lemur species on the brink of extinction, IUCN warns
- Of the 107 lemur species, iconic primates that are endemic to Madagascar, 103 are threatened, with 33 of them now recognized as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- Among those now considered critically endangered are the tiniest primate in the world, the Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), and the Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), a creature known for its peculiar sideways hop that gives the impression it is dancing.
- Half of the primate species of Africa are also under threat, including the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei), the largest living primate.
- Also in danger of extinction: one of the largest whales species, the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) and the world’s most expensive fungus, the caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis).

In Madagascar’s dry forests, COVID-19 sparks an intense, early fire season
- Though Madagascar officially has just under 1,800 reported infections and 16 deaths from COVID-19, the pandemic’s socioeconomic effects will be catastrophic for the country, the U.N. has warned.
- One tangible impact has been the fire season, which has started early and is likely to be fiercer this year as rural residents deprived of tourism revenue, employment opportunities and access to food markets turn to the forest to survive.
- The environment ministry registered 52,000 forest fire incidents from January until the start of June, with the western flank of the country, which hosts its unique dry forests, being the worst-affected.
- A reduction in NGOs’ and state agencies’ field activities has made forest patrols more challenging and affected the critical task of creating fire breaks.

One-two punch of drought, pandemic hits Madagascar’s poor and its wildlife
- Because of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in years poverty is rising in Madagascar, already one of the poorest countries in the world.
- Near Tsimanampesotse National Park in the southwest of the country, the loss of tourists has coincided with a disastrously dry rainy season, and restrictions associated with the pandemic are adding to rural distress; an estimated half a million people will need food aid in the coming months.
- Erratic rainfall patterns and food scarcity don’t just affect humans but also the lemurs living in the park, according to Lemur Love, a nonprofit that works in Tsimanampesotse National Park.
- The hunger crisis created by the drought and compounded by the pandemic could force people to lean even more heavily on nature; to impinge on forests and consume more wild meat to survive.

Marijuana cultivation whittling away Madagascar’s largest connected forest
- Northern Madagascar contains the largest block of connected forest left in the country.
- Tsaratanana Reserve is supposed to protect a large portion of this forest. However, satellite data and imagery show Tsaratanana is being cleared at a rapid rate.
- Local officials say slash-and-burn agriculture for marijuana cultivation is to blame. The Madagascar National Parks agency helped organize military deployments to the Tsaratanana area in 2014 and 2017, and is planning another intervention this year.
- Scientists say that if this deforestation continues, it will fragment the reserve’s well-connected forests and threaten the animals that live there — many of which are found nowhere else in the world.

As visitors vanish, Madagascar’s protected areas suffer a ‘devastating’ blow
- The country has lost half a billion dollars in much-needed tourism revenue since the start of 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis, according to official estimates.
- Tourism contributes toward funding conservation efforts in Madagascar’s network of protected areas; those protected areas that rely heavily on foreign visitors have been hit worst by the crisis.
- There are also fears that international funding, the primary support for conservation efforts in Madagascar, could be jeopardized as big donors face economic crises in their home countries.
- Greater impoverishment could hurt communities living near the protected areas and lead to even more unsustainable exploitation of forests and natural resources.

Ring-tailed lemurs ‘stink flirt’ (it’s not as bad as it sounds)
- During the mating season, male ring-tailed lemurs rub secretions from glands on their wrists onto their tails and wave them at female lemurs.
- These chemical secretions, identified by researchers at the University of Tokyo, have emerged as the first pheromone candidates to be identified in a primate.
- Pheromones, chemical compounds that animals secrete, can signal more than sexual availability; they can also communicate danger or mark trails.
- For the ring-tailed lemur secretions be recognized as real sex pheromones, the scientists will have to show that they are used to communicate only within the species and that they influence mating behavior.

National parks in Africa shutter over COVID-19 threat to great apes
- Wildlife authorities in some parts of Africa have effectively locked down parks that are home to gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos, amid concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic could make the jump to great apes.
- Humans and great apes share more than 95% of the same genetic material, and are susceptible to many of the same infectious diseases, ranging from respiratory ailments to Ebola.
- Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shut its doors to tourists this week, while in Rwanda all parks hosting gorillas and chimpanzees were also shut; Uganda is considering doing the same, with its parks de facto closed because of a drop in tourist arrivals.
- Even if the apes avoid COVID-19, the loss of tourism revenue for the parks and potential loss of income for people who work to protect these species could cause enduring damage to conservation efforts, experts say.

Global consumer demands fuel the extinction crisis facing the world’s primates
- Alejandro Estrada of the Institute of Biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and Paul A. Garber of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois-Urbana argue that human consumption patterns are driving primates to the brink of extinction.
- Commodity production, extraction, and consumption are taking a heavy toll on key primates habitats around the world.
- This post is a guest analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.

Madagascar’s bold reforestation goal lacks a coherent plan, experts say
- Madagascar’s president is pushing an ambitious plan to plant trees on 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) of land every year for the next five years.
- But conservation experts point to shortcomings in the plan, including the use of disincentives and imposition of targets to compel NGOs and other organizations to get on board.
- There’s also the very real risk that in racing to meet the target, fast-growing non-native species will be prioritized, including acacia and pine, over slow-growing endemic species.
- Conservationists have called for a more collaborative approach to the replanting initiative to seek community buy-in and ensure the long-term effectiveness of the program.

What makes community ecotourism succeed? In Madagascar, location, location, location
- For the past two decades, donors and international NGOs have worked with the Malagasy government to create thousands of local associations to manage and conserve parcels of forest.
- Ecotourism ventures, along with farming support, are often presented as an important way to overcome the loss of income that usually accompanies new restrictions on how local people can use their land.
- Successful ecotourism ventures are few and far between, but a common factor is also something that’s hard to replicate: proximity to highways and other tourist destinations.

Study finds lemurs in degraded Madagascar forest skinny and stunted
- In Madagascar’s Tsinjoarivo rainforest, adults of the critically endangered diademed sifakas living in the most degraded of forest fragments tend to be skinnier, and young individuals show stunting, compared to individuals living in more intact parts of the forest, according to a new study.
- Skinny bodies in adults could mean that their nutritional intake is compromised in the disturbed areas, researchers say, while young sifakas could be growing more slowly in the most disturbed areas in response to reduced nutrition in the diet.
- Sifakas living in less-disturbed forest fragments, however, don’t appear to be in poorer health than those in continuous, intact forests. This could be because the long-lived sifakas are likely resilient to moderate habitat changes, the researchers say.
- But threats could add up and cause local populations to disappear, the researchers add.

Eat the insects, spare the lemurs
- To solve the twin challenges of malnutrition and biodiversity loss in Madagascar, new efforts are promoting edible insects as a way to take pressure off wildlife that people hunt for meat when food is scarce.
- Insects are widely eaten in Madagascar. They are also incredibly nutritious and one of the “greenest” forms of animal proteins in terms of their land, water and food requirements and their greenhouse gas emissions.
- One program is testing the farming of sakondry, a little-known hopping insect that tastes a lot like bacon. Another is setting up a network of cricket farms.
- Other attempts to reduce reliance on forest protein include improving chicken husbandry in rural areas.

Food choice leaves some lemurs more vulnerable to loss of forest habitat
- The gut microbes of some lemur species are specialized to help in digesting food found in their habitats, a new study has found.
- Lemurs are only found in Madagascar and the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, and are one of the most threatened primate groups in the world.
- The study suggests the mostly leaf-eating group of lemurs known as sifakas, in the genus Propithecus, host gut microbes that are specialized for their diets and therefore less adaptable to food sources found in other habitats.
- Madagascar reports alarming rates of deforestation, losing 2 percent of its primary rainforest just last year, the highest rate of any country.

Lemur yoga: Fueling the capture of wild lemurs? (commentary)
- In April, the BBC published a fawning article about an English hotel that is offering lemur yoga classes featuring endangered ring-tailed lemurs. Knowing full well that this media coverage would negatively impact lemurs living in the wild, we contacted the BBC, hoping to mitigate the damage.
- In today’s digital age, every lemur kept in captivity, either in Madagascar or abroad, is fueling — directly and indirectly — the illegal extraction of lemurs from the wild.
- Not a week goes by without more news of the precipitous decline of Madagascar’s biodiversity. And while it will take tens of millions of dollars to protect what is left, refusing to engage in exploitative encounters and sharing your lemur selfie online is a good place to start.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

That Malagasy forest featured in Netflix’s ‘Our Planet’? It’s vanishing fast
- Parts of the Netflix series “Our Planet,” released this month, were shot in Kirindy Forest in the Menabe Antimena protected area in western Madagascar.
- It’s a biodiversity-rich area that supports plant and animal species found nowhere else, including baobabs, lemurs and fossas.
- Between the shooting for the series in 2016 and its release in 2019, a large patch of the forest was lost, including areas where filming took place.
- This reflects a larger trend of deforestation in the area and in Madagascar, which is experiencing massive deforestation pressure.

Viral video of endangered lemur made people want one as a pet: Study
- A viral video of a ring-tailed lemur released in 2016 triggered a common sentiment: hundreds of people tweeted about “wanting to own pet lemurs,” a new study has found.
- Researchers did not find any evidence of people buying or selling lemurs on Twitter. But viral videos like these can reinforce public interest in having wild animals as pets, they say.
- Searches of the phrase “pet lemur” on Google and YouTube also spiked in the weeks immediately after the video went viral, compared to other weeks between 2013 and 2018.

Madagascar’s next president to take office, bears suspect eco record
- Andry Rajoelina is set to be sworn in as president of Madagascar tomorrow, Jan. 19.
- Many conservationists and civil society representatives were disappointed by his election.
- Rajoelina had served as de facto president from 2009 to early 2014 after a coup d’état carried him to power.
- His past administration faced charges of corruption, especially regarding natural resource management. Top officials, including Rajoelina himself, were rumored to be involved in the illegal rosewood trade, which flourished during his time in office.

Photos: Top 10 new species of 2018
- Every year, researchers describe new species of animals and plants, from forests and oceans, after months, or even several years, of trials and tribulations.
- In 2018, Mongabay covered many of these new discoveries and descriptions, some a result of chance encounters.
- In no particular order, we present our 10 top picks.

Lemur species counts for selected parks

Protected Area		Species
Andringitra		13
Zahamena		13
Marojejy		12
Ranomafana		12
Andasibe Mantadia		11
Bemaraha		11
Marotandrano		11
Ankarana		10
Masoala		10
Kirindy Mitea		8
Montagne d'Ambre		8
Namoroka		8
Zombitse-Vohibasia		8
Isalo		7
Kasijy		7
Manombo		7
Pic d'Ivohibe		7
Bay de baly		6
Bemarivo		6
Bora		6
Nosy Mangabe		6
Tampoketsa-Analamaintso		3
Tsimanampetsotsa		3
Ambohijanahary		2

Lemur species

Please note: a number of lemur species have been described since this list was published.

Family	Common name	Scientific name	Local name	Active	Pictures
Cheirogaleidae	Mouse and Dwarf lemurs			Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Hairy-eared Dwarf Mouse-lemur	Allocebus trichotis		Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Southern Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus adipicaudatus	Matavirambo	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Furry-eared Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus crossleyi	Matavirambo	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Greater Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus major	Matavirambo	Nocturnal	+
Cheirogaleidae	Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus medius	Matavirambo, Kely Be-ohy, Tsidy, Tsidihy	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Lesser Iron Gray Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus minusculus	Matavirambo	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Greater Iron Gray Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus ravus	Matavirambo	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Sibree's Dwarf Lemur	Cheirogaleus sibreei	Matavirambo	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Gray Mouse-lemur	Microcebus murinus	Tsidy, Koitsiky, Titilivaha, Vakiandri, Pondiky	Nocturnal	+
Cheirogaleidae	Pygmy Mouse-lemur	Microcebus myoxinus	Tsidy	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Golden Mouse-lemur	Microcebus ravelobensis	Tsidy	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Red Mouse-lemur	Microcebus rufus	Anakatsidina, Tsidy, Tsitsidy, Tistsihy	Nocturnal	+
Cheirogaleidae	Giant Mouse-lemur or Coquerel's Mouse-lemur	Mirza coquereli	Tsiba, Tilitilivaha, Siba, Setohy, Fitily	Nocturnal	+
Cheirogaleidae	Amber Mountain Fork-crowned Lemur	Phaner electromontis	Tanta, Tantaraolana	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Masoala Fork-crowned Lemur	Phaner furcifer	Tanta, Tantaraolana	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Western Fork-crowned Lemur	Phaner pallescens	Tanta, Tantaraolana, Vakivoho	Nocturnal
Cheirogaleidae	Sambirano Fork-crowned Lemur	Phaner parienti	Tanta, Tantaraolana	Nocturnal
Daubentoniidae	Aye-aye			Nocturnal
Daubentoniidae	Aye-aye	Daubentonia madagascariensis	Aye-aye, Ahay, Itay-hay, Aiay	Nocturnal
Indridae	Woolly lemurs and allies			Diurnal
Indridae	Eastern Avahi	Avahi laniger	Avahina, Avahy, Ampongy, Fotsifaka	Nocturnal	+
Indridae	Western Avahi	Avahi occidentalis	Fotsife, Tsarafangitra	Nocturnal
Indridae	Indri lemur	Indri indri indri	Babakoto, Amboanala	Diurnal	+
Indridae	Indri lemur	Indri indri variegatus	Babakoto, Amboanala	Diurnal	+
Indridae	Coquerel's Sifaka	Propithecus coquereli	Ankomba malandy, Sifaka, Tsibahaka	Diurnal
Indridae	Crowned Sifaka	Propithecus deckenii coronatus	Tsibahaka, Sifaka	Diurnal
Indridae	Decken's Sifaka	Propithecus deckenii dekenii	Tsibahaka, Sifaka	Diurnal	+
Indridae	Silky Sifaka	Propithecus diadema candidus	Simpona, Simpony	Diurnal
Indridae	Diademed Sifaka	Propithecus diadema diadema	Simpona, Simpony	Diurnal	+
Indridae	Milne-Edwards's Sifaka	Propithecus edwardsi	Simpona, Simpony	Diurnal	+
Indridae	Perrier's Sifaka	Propithecus perrieri	Radjako, Ankomba Job	Diurnal
Indridae	Tattersall's Sifaka	Propithecus tattersalli	Ankomba malandy, Simpona	Diurnal
Indridae	Verreaux's Sifaka	Propithecus verreauxi	Sifaka	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	True lemurs			Diurnal
Lemuridae	White-fronted Lemur	Eulemur albifrons	Varika	Diurnal
Lemuridae	White-collared Lemur	Eulemur albocollaris	Varika	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Red-collared Lemur	Eulemur collaris	Varika	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Crowned Lemur	Eulemur coronatus	Varika	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Brown Lemur	Eulemur fulvus	Varikamavo, Komba	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Black Lemur	Eulemur macaco	Ankomba, Komba	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Blue-eyed Black Lemur	Eulemur macaco flavifrons	Ankomba, Komba	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Mongoose Lemur	Eulemur mongoz	Komba	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Red-bellied Lemur	Eulemur rubriventer	Varikamena	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Red-fronted Lemur	Eulemur rufus	Varika, Varikamavo	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Sanford's Lemur	Eulemur sanfordi	Ankomba, Beharavoaka	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Alaotran Gentle Lemur	Hapalemur alaotrensis	Bandro	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Golden Gentle Lemur	Hapalemur aureus	Varibolomena, Bokombolomena	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Gray Gentle Lemur	Hapalemur griseus	Varibolomadinika	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Sambriano Gentle Lemur	Hapalemur occidentalis	Bekola, Kofi, Ankomba valiha	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Ring-tailed Lemur	Lemur catta	Maki, Hira	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Broad-nosed Gentle Lemur	Prolemur simus	Varibolomavo, Vari, Varikandra	Diurnal
Lemuridae	Red Ruffed Lemur	Varecia rubra	Varimena	Diurnal	+
Lemuridae	Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur	Varecia variegata	Varijatsy	Diurnal	+
Megaladapidae	Sportive lemurs			Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Back-striped Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur dorsalis	Apongy	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Milne-Edwards's Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur edwardsi	Boenga, Boengy, Repahaka	Nocturnal	+
Megaladapidae	White-footed Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur leucopus	Songiky	Nocturnal	+
Megaladapidae	Small-toothed Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur microdon	Trangalavaka, Kotrika or Kotreka, Fitiliky, Itataka, Varikosy	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Mitsinjo Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur mitsinjonensis	Kotrika, Varikosy	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Weasel Lemur	Lepilemur mustelinus	Trangalavaka, Kotrika, Fitiliky, Itataka, Varikosy	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Red-tailed Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur ruficaudatus	Boenga, Boengy	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Ankarana Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur septentrionalis ankaranensis	Mahiabeala, Songiky	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Seal's Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur seali	Songiky	Nocturnal
Megaladapidae	Northern Sportive Lemur	Lepilemur septentrionalis septentrionalis	Mahiabeala, Songiky	Nocturnal