Fork-marked lemur

Fork-marked lemurs are strepsirrhine primates. They are named for the two black stripes which run up from the eyes, converge on the top of the head, and run down the back as a single black stripe. Three of the four species are endangered and the other is listed as vulnerable. Their populations are in decline due to habitat destruction. New species may yet be identified, particularly in northeast Madagascar.

About Fork-marked lemur in brief

Fork-marked lemurs are strepsirrhine primates. They are named for the two black stripes which run up from the eyes, converge on the top of the head, and run down the back as a single black stripe. They were originally placed in the genus Lemur in 1839, later moved between the genera Cheirogaleus and Microcebus, and given their own genus in 1870 by John Edward Gray. Three of the four species are endangered and the other is listed as vulnerable. Their populations are in decline due to habitat destruction. New species may yet be identified, particularly in northeast Madagascar. In October, a specimen was observed, captured and released, although genetic tests have yet to determine if it is a new species. If it is, it will be shown to be a different species after it was shown it had a slightly different color pattern from other fork- marked lemur species. The holotype is thought to be MNHN 1834-136, a female specimen taken from Madagascar by French naturalist Jules Goudot. The source of this specimen is unknown, but Thought to be Antongil Bay. In December 2010, Mittermeier and E. Edward E. Russell Jr. announced the possibility of anew species of fork-marks lemur in the protected area of Daraina, northeast Madagascar, called Daraina lemur. The species is generally accepted to be P.electromontis, but the name is generally not accepted by conservationists. They live in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from dry deciduous forests to rainforests and run quadrupedally across branches.

Their diet consists primarily of tree gum and other exudates, though they may obtain some of their protein and nitrogen by hunting small arthropods later at night. Females are thought to have only one offspring every two years or more, and males have a scent gland on their throat, but only use it during social grooming, not for marking territory. Like the other members of their family, they are nocturnal, and sleep in tree holes and nests during the day. Until the late 20th century, there was only one recognized species, although size and coloration differences had been noted previously. In 2001, Groves elevated all four subspecies to species status based on size, body proportion, and proportion differences between the fragmented populations between the two subspecies. Three subspecies were recognized in 1991: the Pale fork-markedLemur, Pariente’s fork- Marks lemur, and Amber Mountain fork- markslemur. In 1850, Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire moved the fork-Markleur to the genus CheiRogaleus, but they were also commonly listed as Microce Bus. In 1870, John EdwardGray assigned fork-markleurs to their own tribe, Phaner, after initially including them and the mouse leMurs. Although French naturalists Alfred Grandidier accepted Gray’s new genus in 1897, the genus was not widely accepted.

Related posts:

Lemur Ring-tailed lemur Ruffed lemur Gray mouse lemur