Red-fronted lemur
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Red- fronted lemur ( Eulemur rufifrons ) |
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| Eulemur rufifrons | ||||||||||||
| ( Bennett , 1833) |
The red-fronted lemur ( Eulemur rufifrons ) is a primate species from the group of lemurs (Lemuriformes). In 2001 it was recognized as an independent species from the Brown Maki with the scientific name Eulemur rufus , in 2008 this species was identified by R. Mittermeier et al. divided into two species based on morphological and genetic differences, the red maki (which kept the name Eulemur rufus ) and the red-fronted maki (which now bears the name Eulemur rufifrons ).
features
Red-fronted lemurs reach a head body length of 35 to 48 centimeters, the tail is 45 to 55 centimeters much longer than the body. The weight is 2 to 2.8 kilograms. The fur of these animals is gray-brown to red-brown on the back and light gray on the belly, the limbs are sometimes significantly browner than the trunk. The elongated muzzle, the area around the eyes and the middle of the forehead are colored black, over the eyes, on the cheeks and on the neck there are white-gray areas. The red color of the top of the head, which gives it its name, is only found in the males, in the females this area is gray. In addition, the cheek hairs in the males are much bushier than in the females.
distribution and habitat
Red-fronted lemurs occur only in Madagascar , they have a two-part distribution area. On the one hand, they live on the east coast of the island from the Onive and Mangoro rivers south to the Andringitra mountainous region . On the other hand, they inhabit the west coast, here they are from the Fiherenana river near Toliara in the south to the Tsiribihina river in the north - the red makis live north of the Tsiribihina. Their habitat is rainforests in the east and dry deciduous forests in the west.
Way of life
These primates are pronounced tree dwellers who rarely come to the ground. In the branches they move four-legged or jump. They are cathemeral , that is, they do not have a distinct day-night rhythm and can be active both day and night. They live together in groups of 4 to 18 (average 8 to 10) animals, groups are made up of several males and females and the common young animals. There is no recognizable ranking within the group.
The size of the districts and the length of the day trips are very variable depending on the habitat and the season. During the rainy season in the western forests, a group often only inhabits 1 hectare and does not move more than 125 to 150 meters per day, in the dry season the size of the grazing area increases to 12 to 15 hectares. In the eastern rainforests, the territories are much larger, they can be up to 100 hectares, and the length of the day forays can be up to 2000 meters. The roaming areas of different groups overlap, the groups draw attention to each other with loud shouts in order to avoid direct encounters. If there is an encounter, it is often peaceful, but it can also lead to aggressive confrontations.
Fruits are the main ingredient in food. In the west, leaves, buds, flowers and other parts of plants also play an important role. Animals on the east coast eat less leaves, rather they eat mushrooms and small animals such as insects and millipedes more often. Red-fronted lemurs rub themselves with the secretions of millipedes and even swallow them, probably to protect themselves from skin and intestinal parasites.
Reproduction is seasonal: after a gestation period of around 120 days, the female usually gives birth to a single young in September or October. This first clings to the mother's stomach, later it rides on her back. At three months the boy moves independently, sexual maturity occurs at two to three years.
Danger
The main threat to the red-fronted lemur is the destruction of its habitat through slash-and-burn and deforestation, and in some places there is also hunting for its meat. The IUCN estimates that populations have declined by 20 to 25% in the last 24 years (3 generations) and lists the species as “ near threatened ”.
In Germany the species is kept in Jaderberg, Magdeburg, Saarbrücken and Straussberg.
literature
- Nick Garbutt: Mammals of Madagascar. A Complete Guide. Yale University Press, New Haven CT 2007, ISBN 978-0-300-12550-4 .
- 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.
supporting documents
- ↑ Louise R. Peckre, Charlotte Defolie, Peter M. Kappeler, Claudia Fichtel: potential self-medication using millipede secretions in red-fronted lemurs: combining anointment and ingestion for a joint action against gastrointestinal parasites? Primates, July 2018 doi: 10.1007 / s10329-018-0674-7
- ↑ [1] ZTL 16.6
Web links
- Eulemur rufifrons onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved April 2, 2009.