Red-bellied lemur
| Red-bellied lemur | ||||||||||||
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Red-bellied lemurs ( Eulemur rubriventer ), male on the left, female on the right |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Eulemur rubriventer | ||||||||||||
| ( I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , 1850) |
The red-bellied lemur ( Eulemur rubriventer ) is a primate species from the family of ordinary Maki (Lemuridae) within the lemurs (Lemuriformes).
features
Red-bellied lemurs reach a head body length of 35 to 40 centimeters, the long, bushy tail is 43 to 53 centimeters longer than the body. The weight is 1.6 to 2.4 kilograms. The fur of these animals is long and dense. In the males, the back, the chest and the belly are colored maroon, the tail is much darker, almost black. The top of the head, face and muzzle are dark gray, under the eyes there are striking white, tear-like markings. Due to the thick fur in the area of the ears, the skull appears rectangular. In the female, the back is also maroon and the tail is also black, but the chest and belly are white-gray. The head appears less angular, its top is not dark and the white markings under the eyes are significantly smaller or completely absent.
distribution and habitat
Red-bellied lemurs are endemic to Madagascar , where they inhabit the rainforests in the east of the island from the Tsaratanana Mountains in the north to the Andringitra Mountains in the south. They are more common at middle and higher altitudes and occur up to 2400 meters above sea level.
Lifestyle and diet
These primates are cathemeral , which means that they do not have a distinct day-night rhythm. Their level of activity depends on the season and the food available. They look for food at all heights of the trees and occasionally come to the ground. They usually live in family groups with 2 to 6 animals made up of a male, a female and their offspring. Larger groups with several adult animals are very rarely found. The groups live in an area of 10 to 20 hectares, which they defend with glandular secretions. The female leads the group, depending on the food available, they cover 400 to 1000 meters a day.
Fruits are the main ingredient in food. If no fruit is available, they will also eat flowers , leaves and other plant material. Small animals, especially millipedes , make up a small but important part of the diet.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of around 125 days, the female gives birth to a single young in September or October. At first the newborn clings to the mother's belly, later it rides on her or the father's back. From the fifth week of life, the mother no longer wears it, but the father still wears it until the boy is around 100 days old. It is weaned at around five months and sexually mature at around two years of age.
Danger
The destruction of their habitat through slash and burn and deforestation is the main threat to the red-bellied lemur. In some regions they are also hunted. Population densities are generally very low, and the IUCN estimates that over the past 24 years (three generations) the total population has declined by more than 30%. The species is therefore listed as "endangered" ( vulnerable ).
In Europe the species is maintained in Berlin and Saarbrücken.
supporting documents
literature
- Nick Garbutt: Mammals of Madagascar. A Complete Guide . Yale University Press, New Haven & London 2007, ISBN 978-0-300-12550-4 .
- Thomas Geissmann: Comparative Primatology . Springer, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
Web links
- Photos, videos and information at arkive.org
- Eulemur rubriventer onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved March 26, 2009.