In northern Madagascar’s Montagne d’Ambre National Park, Dr Runhua Lei of the Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and his colleagues from Australia, Madagascar and the United States have discovered a new species of lemur.
The Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus andysabini) in its natural habitat. The population of this new species is found in and just outside the boundaries of Montagne d’Ambre National Park, Madagascar. Image credit: Edward E. Louis, Jr.
According to Dr Lei and co-authors, the new species belongs to a genus of dwarf lemurs called Cheirogaleus.
The team chose the scientific name of the species Cheirogaleus andysabini (Andy Sabin’s dwarf lemur) in honor of New York businessman and philanthropist Andy Sabin. The proposed common name is the Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur.
“This new species is named after Andy Sabin, a well-known New York philanthropist committed to species conservation, especially turtles, amphibians and primates,” Dr Lei and co-authors wrote in their paper in the journal Primate Conservation.
“In particular, he has supported many projects in Madagascar, including research on lemurs, tortoises and frogs. His long-term interest, his enthusiasm, and his generosity have helped to encourage many researchers and conservationists, young and old alike.”
Dr Lei and his colleagues from the Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Stony Brook University, Australian National University and the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership report that the Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur measures 6.3-7.1 inches (16-18 cm) long, with a tail length of 10.2-10.6 inches (26-27 cm).
About the size of a small squirrel, the animal weighs 250-310 g. It is reddish-brown in color with a white underside and has brownish-black rings around the eyes.
“The Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur is known from the Montagne d’Ambre National Park and areas nearby around the town of Joffreville, northwest of the Irodo River in northern Madagascar,” the scientists wrote in the paper.
Illustration of the Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus andysabini). Image credit: Stephen D. Nash / Conservation International.
This new species was identified via extensive fieldwork in and around the Montagne d’Ambre National Park in 2005, with additional fieldwork in February of 2015. The national park is home to many microendemic plants and wildlife, meaning they are exclusive to this small part of the world.
“The massif of Montagne d’Ambre is of volcanic origin, and this rain forest ecotype may have been separated from the surrounding dry deciduous vegetation for millions of years, with the last volcanic eruptions occurring as recently as 2 million years ago,” the researchers said.
Dr Lei and co-authors assessed the genetic differences between other lemurs in the genus Cheirogaleus, among other comprehensive research, before publishing their findings.
More than 90% of all lemurs are at risk or vulnerable to extinction, according to the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, but the status of the new species is currently unknown.
“The conservation status of the Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur cannot be determined at present, but the proximity to the park boundary and the settlement of Joffreville brings this species into close contact with humans and the possibility of forest clearance and hunting,” the scientists said.
“The Montagne d’Ambre National Park, like much of the remaining forested areas of Madagascar, is under the greatest threat from a combination of slash-and-burn agriculture and charcoal extraction.”
_____
Runhua Lei et al. 2015. A New Species in the Genus Cheirogaleus (Cheirogaleidae). Primate Conservation 29
