Cheirogaleus andysabini
| Cheirogaleus andysabini | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Cheirogaleus andysabini | ||||||||||||
| Lei et al., 2015 |
Cheirogaleus andysabini is a primate species from the lemur group that occurs exclusively in the Montagne d'Ambre National Park and its immediate vicinity in the Diana region in northern Madagascar . It had been known as an independent form since 2005, but was not described until 2015. The species is named after the New York philanthropist Andy Sabin, who is committed to protecting species, especially amphibians, turtles and primates, and who has supported many projects in Madagascar. English common names are Andy Sabin's dwarf lemur andMontagne d'Ambre dwarf lemur .
features
The holotype , a fully grown female, has a body length of 18.2 cm, a tail length of 27 cm and a weight of 310 g. This makes Cheirogaleus andysabini a little smaller than the reddish fat- tailed lemur ( Cheirogaleus crossleyi ), its brain skull is higher. The head, back and limbs are colored reddish brown. The belly and the insides of the arms and legs are white. The eye ring is black-brown, the nose above the nasal mirror is whitish. In addition to the color of the coat, Cheirogaleus andysabini also differs genetically from its closest relatives. The genetic difference to the reddish- tailed lemur and the Lavasoa-lavasoensis ( Cheirogaleus lavasoensis ), determined by a DNA analysis of the genes of the protein cytochrome b , is 5.6 to 8.1%.
Habitat and endangerment
The Montagne d'Ambre National Park is mountainous and characterized by rainforests , while deciduous dry forests grow in the area . The mountains are of volcanic origin. Cheirogaleus andysabini has so far been observed at altitudes of 541 to 1073 meters above sea level. Like almost everywhere in Madagascar, rain and dry forests are threatened by slash and burn and deforestation for the production of charcoal.
literature
- Runhua Lei, Adam T. McLain, Cynthia L. Frasier, Justin M. Taylor, Carolyn A. Bailey, Shannon E. Engberg, Azure L. Ginter, Stephen D. Nash, Richard Randriamampionona, Colin P. Groves, Russell A. Mittermeier & Edward E. Louis, Jr .: A New Species in the Genus Cheirogaleus (Cheirogaleidae) . Primate Conservation, 29, 2015