Mohrenmaki

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Mohrenmaki
Mohrenmaki (Eulemur macaco), male

Mohrenmaki ( Eulemur macaco ), male

Systematics
Order : Primates (Primates)
Subordination : Wet-nose primates (Strepsirrhini)
Partial order : Lemurs (Lemuriformes)
Family : Common Makis (Lemuridae)
Genre : Great Makis ( Eulemur )
Type : Mohrenmaki
Scientific name
Eulemur macaco
( Linnaeus , 1766)
female

The Mohrenmaki ( Eulemur macaco ) is a species of primate from the family of ordinary Makis (Lemuridae) within the Lemurs (Lemuriformes). The blue-eyed lemur , which was previously considered its subspecies, has been a separate species since 2008.

features

Black lemurs are among the smaller representatives of the common Makis. They reach a head body length of 39 to 45 centimeters, the tail is 51 to 65 centimeters much longer than the body. Their weight is 1.8 to 2 kilograms. The sexes show a clear gender dichromatism , so they are colored very differently. The males are black throughout, but in direct sunlight their fur can shimmer reddish brown to dark brown. They have noticeable tufts of hair on their ears. The females are colored brown to black-brown on the back, the limbs are brownish and the belly is light brown to white-gray. The head and snout are dark gray, the long tufts of hair on the ears are colored white in the females. Both sexes have very long, bushy tails. The eyes of these animals are yellow-orange in color, which distinguishes them from the closely related blue-eyed lemurs.

distribution and habitat

Black lemurs occur only in the Sambirano region in northwestern Madagascar and on some offshore islands such as Nosy Be and Nosy Komba . Their habitat is predominantly moist forests, but they are relatively adaptable and can also live in secondary forests .

Way of life

These primates are cathemeral , which means that they do not have a fixed day-night rhythm. During the day they are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon; their level of activity at night depends on the season and the position of the moon. In the rainy season they are more active at night than in the dry season, and when the moon is relatively full or full, their level of activity also increases. They are tree dwellers who live in the middle and upper regions of the trees.

They live in groups of 2 to 15 (mostly 7 to 10) animals, the groups are made up of approximately the same number of males and females and the common offspring. Groups are led by a dominant female and inhabit an area of ​​5 to 6 hectares in size, which can largely overlap with that of other groups.

food

Black lemurs mainly eat ripe fruits, but they also eat flowers, leaves, mushrooms and occasionally small animals such as insects and millipedes. The diet varies according to the season, in the dry season nectar plays an important role.

Reproduction

Mating occurs in April or May, and after a gestation period of around 125 days, the female usually gives birth to a single young between late August and early October. The young initially cling to the mother's stomach, later they ride on her back. They are weaned at five to six months and sexually mature at around two years of age.

Danger

The destruction of their habitat by slash and burn is the main threat to the black lemur, and there is also hunting, either because of their meat or because they are considered pests as they sometimes eat the fruit in plantations. The distribution area of ​​this species covers less than 10,000 km² and is highly fragmented, the IUCN lists the species as "endangered" ( vulnerable ).

In Germany the species is kept in Berlin, Eberswalde and Augsburg

literature

  1. ↑ R. Mittermeier, J. Ganzhorn, W. Konstant, K. Glander, I. Tattersall, C. Groves, A. Rylands, A. Hapke, J. Ratsimbazafy, M. Mayor, E. Louis Jr., Y. Rumpler , C. Schwitzer and R. Rasoloarison: Lemur Diversity in Madagascar. In: International Journal of Primatology 29 (2008), pp. 1607-1656.
  2. ↑ [1] ZTL 16.6

Web links

Commons : Mohrenmaki ( Eulemur macaco )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files