Bamboo lemurs
| Bamboo lemurs | ||||||||||||
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Eastern bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur griseus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hapalemur | ||||||||||||
| I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , 1851 |
The bamboo lemurs or half lemurs ( Hapalemur ) are a primate genus from the group of lemurs (Lemuriformes). The genus includes six species.
features
Bamboo lemurs are the smallest representatives of the common Makis (Lemuridae). They reach a head body length of 24 to 40 centimeters, the tail is 32 to 42 centimeters slightly longer than the trunk, and the weight is 0.7 to 1.7 kilograms. The hind legs are somewhat elongated to adapt to jumping locomotion. Their fur is colored relatively inconspicuously in brown or gray tones. The head is rounded, the ears are small and rounded. In contrast to many other lemurs, the snout is short and wide.
distribution and habitat
Like all lemurs, bamboo lemurs live exclusively in Madagascar , they are predominantly found in the northwest, northern and eastern parts of the island. Their habitat are both the dry forests in the west and the rainforests in the east of the island, mostly they are dependent on bamboo stocks . One species, the Alaotra bamboo lemur , lives in the reed belts of a lake.
Lifestyle and diet
Although they can be active at any time of the day, they are primarily crepuscular. They mainly live in the trees, but can also come to the ground. In the branches they climb and jump vertically, only the Alaotra bamboo lemur has developed specialized four-legged locomotion.
They live together in groups of three to five animals, which are likely to represent family associations and are made up of a male, one or two females and their pups. The animals communicate with one another with a variety of sounds.
The main food of most species is bamboo , where they eat the leaves, saplings and pulp. They also eat other parts of the plant such as flowers, buds and leaves.
After a gestation period of 135 to 150 days, the female gives birth to one or two young between September and December. These are weaned at around four months (when the food supply is greatest) and sexually mature at two years.
threat
The natural enemies of the bamboo lemurs include the fossa , birds of prey and owls, as well as giant snakes . The animals are much more threatened by humans, to a lesser extent by the stalking of introduced dogs and cats, and to a greater extent by the destruction of their habitat and by hunting. The majority of the species is, according to IUCN "at risk" ( vulnerable ) or ( "high risk" endangered ), the Alaotra bamboo lemur is considered "to extinction" ( critically endangered ).
The species
Six species of bamboo lemur are currently known (after Mittermeier et al., 2008)
- Eastern bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur griseus )
- Southern bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur meridionalis )
- Western bamboo lemur or Sambirano bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur occidentalis )
- Alaotra bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur alaotrensis )
- Gilbert bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur gilberti )
- Golden bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur aureus )
The first four species were previously grouped together as the gray bamboo lemur, the Gilbert bamboo lemur was only described in 2007.
The large bamboo lemur is now listed in its own genus, Prolemur .
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2002, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Russell A. Mittermeier , Jörg U. Ganzhorn, William R. Konstant, Kenneth Glander, Ian Tattersall , Colin P. Groves , Anthony B. Rylands, Andreas Hapke, Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Mireya I. Mayor, Edward Louis jr, Yves Rumpler, Christoph Schwitzer, Rodin Rasoloarison: Lemur Diversity in Madagascar. In: International Journal of Primatology. 29, 2008, ISSN 0164-0291 , pp. 1607-1656.
