#797: Verreaux's Sifaka

Verreaux's Sifaka is probably one of the more well known Sifaka species. She is found in the lower western and southern regions of Madagascar, generally inhabiting dry or spiny forest. Like all Sifaka, she is vegetarian, and her diet consists mostly of leaves. Troops range in size from 2-12 individuals. Whilst these are often family groups, some also consist of one dominant male and, effectively, his harem of females. Females, however, are dominant over males. The Verreaux's Sifaka is probably most well known for her form of locomotion. Generally she will leap between trees, but when the gap is too wide, she must come to ground. Unable to walk on all fours, she instead "dances", making bipedal hops with her arms slightly raised.

#700: Sifaka

To celebrate TWO YEARS of my Zootrophy, an Animal-a-day, project and to represent the #700th (actual/real) animal I have drawn as part of this project, I present to you an animal that has special significance to me:

The Sifaka are a Genus of lemurs, characterised by their long arms and shorter legs. Largely arboreal in nature, should a Sifaka need to travel along the ground, she moves with bipedal, sideways hops, using her forearms for balance. There are nine species, all of which are endangered, four critically. All favour a vegetarian diet and the eastern, rainforest, species dine on such a variety of plants that they cannot be successfully kept in captivity. This beautiful Silky Sifaka, and her black-furred cousin, the Perrier's, only survive in isolated  rainforest pockets, where seclusion has protected them from habitat destruction and hunting. The western, dry forest, species are more generalistic and have been succesfully bred in captivity.

The future of these rare and beautiful creatures is fragile. Madagascar is a country with unique fauna and flora, facing severe pressure from hunting, over-population and deforestation. Due to its poor economic status - it is one of the poorest countries in the world - it has also been exploited by other countries who have, and still are, pillaged it of natural wealth (ie: gemstones, rosewood). Climate change also brings with it additional challenges for the unique wildlife.

You have probably noticed that I, like many zoologists, have a fascination with Madagascar. The future of its wildlife lies not in zoos or other institutions - although they do play a major role - but in conservation and education. Now there are many projects working with the local people of the various regions to help them take responsibility for the survival of these species.

Heres's a link to how you can help: http://www.wildmadagascar.org/help.htm

Other Sifaka species featured in this blog:

Coquerel Sifaka (Endangered)
Crowned Sifaka (Endangered)
Diademed Sifaka (Critically Endangered)
Milne-Edwards Sifaka (Endangered)
Perrier Sifaka (Critically Endangered)

To come:
Verreaux Sifaka

#671: Ruffed Lemur

The Ruffed Lemur is a Critically Endangered primate found in scattered populations across the east coast of Madagascar. She is the largest of the "true" Lemur Family (Lemuridae). Her diet is vegetarian: leaves, fruit and seeds. Nectar is lapped from flowers. She is a major pollinator of the travellers tree, a palm-like tree endemic to the island. Female Ruffed Lemur will mate with multiple male, giving birth to twins or triplets. Unlike other Lemuridae lemurs, she does not carry her youngsters, instead leaving them safely in a well-hidden nest. Two species occur - this black and white, and the red. The two species will hybridise in captivity.

#645: Red-bellied Lemur

One of the lesser-known Lemur species, the Red-bellied Lemur inhabits the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. Troops consist of monogamous pairs and up to ten individuals. His main diet is fruit, supplemented by leaves, flowers and nectar. He is an important agent in seed dispersal. Like all lemur species, he is threatened by hunting and deforestation, but his large range means he is still only classified as "vulnerable", unlike his more specialist relatives.

(This picture is really old, I do intend to upgrade it)

Creature Feature #581: Perrier Sifaka

The Perriers Sifaka was once considered a sub-species of Diademed Sifaka. He is Critically Endangered, with the entire population consisting of an estimated 500 individuals and limited to a small area of northern Madagascar. His diet is somewhat versatile (for an eastern Sifaka), consisting of fruit and seeds during the wet season, and leaves during the dry. Groups consist of 2-6 individuals. Infant mortality is high and breeding is slow, making the future of this species uncertain.

Creature Feature #484: Mouse Lemur

The Mouse Lemurs are the world's smallest primates, measuring around 27cm from nose to tail-tip. This tiny Madame Berthe's - with an average body length of 9.2 cm - was first discovered in 2000, in the forests of Kirindy. She forages alone for insects, fruit, and small vertebratesm, although her preferred diet is energy-rich "honeydew", a secretion produced by the larvae of the Flatida coccinea bug. During the daytime, she sleeps. Sometimes alone, in a leafy nest or tree hollow, occasionally with company. There are more males in the population than females, and she tends towards promiscuity.

Like most of Madagascar's lemurs (90%) the Madame Berhe is endangered, threatened by deforestation and also hybridising with other, closely related, Mouse Lemur species.

Creature Feature #474: Mongoose Lemur

The Mongoose Lemur is one of the smaller Eulemur ("true lemur") species and one of only two species to also be found outside of Madagascar - on the Comoros Islands (the other being the Common Brown). It is thought that they were introduced there. Mongoose Lemur change their sleeping patterns based on the temperature. During the  warm wet months he is more active during the day, but when it becomes drier, he follows nocturnal behaviour patterns. Although generally considered vegetarian, in captivity he has been observed stalking, killing and eating birds that venture into his enclosure.

Like 90% of lemur species it is likely he will become extinct within the next 20-25 years.

Creature Feature #464: Milne-Edwards Sifaka

The Milne-Edwards Sifaka is a lemur from the eastern coastal rainforest of Madagascar. She is characterised by her piebald colouration and is closely related to the Diademed Sifaka. Like most lemur species, the Milne-Edwards Sifaka has claws specially adapted for grooming. including a special "toilet-claw" on the second toe of each foot. Her big toe is also enlarged and prehensile, allowing her to better grip tree branches. Her arboreal lifestyle requires great agility and coordination as she leaps from tree to tree, very rarely touching the ground.

Creature Feature #418: Lemur

There are over 100 species of Lemur, all confined to the island of Madagascar. They are an example of divergent evolution, in which a small ancestral population lead to a wide diversification and adaptation to the environment. Many species are small and nocturnal, but the most well known are the diurnal species, like this Ringtail Lemur. Lemurs are one of the few mammals with a matriarchal structure: females are dominant to males (in most species). Most are social, and live in family groups, following a vegetarian or omnivorous diet.

Ringtailed Lemurs, despite being the "poster boy" for the Clade as a whole, only live in the dry forests of southern and south-west Madagascar. They are highly social, with a rigid hierarchy. Males compete with one another in "stink fights" in which they rub scent from their wrist glands along their tails and wave these at one another. Seldom to these demonstrations turn to actual violence. Other uses for the ringed tail include balance as they leap through the trees, and to communicate with other members of their troop as they forage.

Due to a combination of deforestation (Madagascar is 90% deforested) and hunting, 90% of Lemur species are endangered and 10% of those are critically endangered, meaning that there is a very high chance of extinction. With Madagascar being one of the poorest countries in the world, it will be a struggle to save these amazing creatures (and the many other unique species found on the island) but luckily there are dedicated conservation teams from all over the world working with the locals to help protect, and even restore, where they can. So, we can but hope.

If you wish to help the lemurs and the people of Madagascar, here is a list of a few of the agencies that have various projects on the island:

Azafady: http://www.madagascar.co.uk/index.htm
Duke University Lemur Centre: http://lemur.duke.edu/
Aspinall Foundation: http://www.aspinallfoundation.org/
Durrell Wildlife Consevation Trust: http://www.durrell.org


And here's another list with more:
http://www.wildmadagascar.org/help.htm

I am very passionate about lemurs, and about Madagascar (having visited there in 2007) and her people. the thought that many of the species I saw, or didn't see (like the elusive Bamboo Lemur) could become extinct within my lifetime is heart-breaking.

If you do donate to any of these above, let me know and I'll send you a free ebook of my novel "Fellowship of the Ringtails" (for Kindle or epub). It's epic fantasy, with lemurs.

Creature Feaure #296: Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur

The tiny Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur is one of the rarest primates in the world. As such, very little is known about her. Never common, she is found only in the  forested regions of northeast Madagascar. Until her re-discovery in 1989, she was considered extinct, only known from five museum specimens. Now the population is considered to be no more than 1,000 and possibly as few as 100 individuals. Like most Dwarf Lemurs she is nocturnal. Her diet consists of fruit, tree sap, leaves and insects. She appears to forage in small groups of two to six individuals. During the cooler seasons she becomes lethargic in her movements and will spend much of her time curled up in her nest of fresh leaves, built within tree holes.

Creature Feature #266: Gentle Lemur

The Gentle Lemur species fall into two Families - Hapalemur (5 species) and Prolemur (1 species). They are characterised by their round faces, fluffy ears, short muzzles and greyish-brown fur.  Their other common name, "Bamboo Lemur", refers to their diet. They are one of the few animals able to survive almost solely on bamboo - a food source that contains high quantities of cyanide. It is unknown how they process this substance, consuming daily levels that would kill a human. The Hapalemur species live in small family groups numbering 2-5 individuals, whereas the Prolemur - this Greater Gentle Lemur - will live in a social group with up to 28 members. All are heavily threatened by habitat loss and hunting, with 3 of the 7 species classified as critically endangered.

Creature Feature #243: Fork-Marked Lemur

It's been a while since I'm submitted a lemur through my Animal-a-Day, so here she is, the Fork-Marked  Lemur, known also as the Tanta.

The Fork-Marked Lemurs are a Family of Dwarf Lemur, consisting of four species. She is characterised by the stripe that runs along her spine and forks at her head into dark stripes down her face. She has large feet, enabling her strong grip on the branches as she scurries through the forest. Nocturnal in nature, her principle diet is tree sap. She uses her long premolars to break through the bark, and extracts the sap inside with her long tongue. She will also eat invertebrates for additional protein.

Creature Feature #159: Diademed Sifaka

The Diademed Sifaka is the most widespread of Madagascar’s eastern sifaka species and inhabits lowland and subhumid forests. He lives in small troops - up to ten individuals - and fiercely defends his territory against rival diademed groups. Both male and female scent mark the outer perimeters of their home range. Purely vegetarian, he will consume parts of 25 different plants: flowers, seeds and verdant leaves. Breeding is seasonal, with females only being receptive a few days a year.

Creature Feature #142: Crowned Sifaka

The Crowned Sifaka inhabits small patches of dry forest towards the western edge of Madagascar, where his range somewhat overlaps with the Decken's Sifaka. His colour varies greatly, but he gains his name from his black hood, or "crown" about his head. His home is in the upper canopy, where he lives in small groups of 2-8 individuals, foraging for buds, unripe fruit and mature leaves. His hind legs are very strong, and can propel him great distances between trees. He does not come down to the ground to drink, gaining all the moisture he needs from his diet, although he occasionally will eat soil, for the nutrients it contains. His home range is fiercely defended against other troops, and at night the group retire to the same tree - usually near a river - to sleep.

Creature Feature #141: Crowned Lemur

Okay, I realise that somewhere along the way I appear to have forgotten the alphabet...

The Crowned Lemur is a relatively small member of the Eulemur ("true lemur") Genus. He has vivid orange colouration around his head and shoulders, whereas his mate is a more demure grey. both sport the V-shaped coronet upon their forehead that gives them their name. Crowned Lemurs have a very limited range, with the majority of their population occupying the Ankarana massif at the northern-most tip of Madagascar. They are the only lemurs in the region known to brave the razor-edged limestone tsingy, leaping nimbly across the pinacles as they travel from canyon forest to canyon forest in search of leaves, flowers and fruit.

For those of you that have read my Fellowship of the Ringtails book, this is what Sneak will grow up to look like.

Creature Feature #124: Coquerel's Sifaka

Finally, it's time for another lemur! Although you can expect another two before we conclude this letter.

The Coquerel's Sifaka makes her home in the dry forests of north-west Madagascar. Her long and powerful legs made her a strong leaper - she is capable of jumping up to ten metres. With her legs being longer than her arms, she cannot walk on all fours and when forced to traverse the ground must do so in a series of bipedal hops, her arms and tail spread out for balance. Her name - sifaka - is derived from her warning call. Like most lemur species, Coquerel's Sifaka are matriachal, with the females leading the group and dominating the males whilst they forage. Her preferred diet is leaves, flowers and fruit and she can eat more than 100 different species. She is an important agent in seed dispersal.

Also, I have coloured her eyes wrong - they are meant to be golden or orange. Oops. Shall remedy that if I can! (thank goodness for gel pens).