The sportive lemurs are the medium-sized
primate
Primates are a diverse order (biology), order of mammals. They are divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include the Tarsiiformes, tarsiers and ...
s that make up the family Lepilemuridae. The family consists of only one extant genus, ''Lepilemur''. They are closely related to the other
lemur
Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madaga ...
s and exclusively live on the island of
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
. For a time, this family was named Megaladapidae, but the current name was given precedence since the
extinct genus ''
Megaladapis
''Megaladapis'' ("Great ''Adapis''" from Ancient Greek μεγαλος (megalos), "great, big" + Modern Latin ''Adapis'', "''Adapis''"), informally known as the koala lemur, was a genus belonging to the family Megaladapidae, consisting of three ...
'' was removed from the family.
Etymology
French zoologist
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (16 December 1805 – 10 November 1861) was a French zoologist and an authority on deviation from normal structure. In 1854 he coined the term ''éthologie'' ( ethology).
Biography
He was born in Paris, the s ...
first described the genus ''Lepilemur'' in 1851, prefixing the existing
genus ''Lemur'' with the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
''lepidus'' ("pleasant" or "pretty"). However, it was erroneously spelled—a mistake later authors unsuccessfully attempted to correct to ''Lepidolemur''. Members of the monogeneric family Lepilemuridae are referred to as either sportive or weasel lemurs. "Sportive lemur", which is more commonly used, was coined by
Henry Ogg Forbes
Henry Ogg Forbes LLD (30 January 1851 – 27 October 1932) was a Scottish explorer, ornithologist, and botanist. He also described a new species of spider, '' Thomisus decipiens''.
Biography
Forbes was the son of Rev Alexander Forbes M.A. (18 ...
in 1894. Though he did not explain the name choice, he did mention the agility of ''Lepilemur''. "Weasel lemur" is an older common name, dating to the 1863 publication of ''Cassell's Popular National History''. Dunkel ''et al.'' speculated that was inspired by the species name ''L. mustelinus'', which means "weasel-like" in Latin.
They were named ''weasel lemurs'' for their swiftness like that of
mustelid
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in t ...
s.
Classification
* Family Lepilemuridae: sportive lemurs
** Genus ''Lepilemur''
***
AEECL's sportive lemur
The Antafia sportive lemur, or red-shouldered sportive lemur (''Lepilemur aeeclis'') is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It has a total length of about , of which are tail. The AEECL's sportive lemur is found in western Madagascar, livin ...
(''Lepilemur aeeclis'')
[
*** ]Ahmanson's sportive lemur
Ahmanson's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur ahmansonorum''), or the Tsiombikibo sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is a relatively small sportive lemur with a total length of about , of which are tail. Wright's sportive ...
(''Lepilemur ahmansonorum'')[
*** ]Ankarana sportive lemur
The Ankarana sportive lemur (''Lepilemur ankaranensis''), or Ankarana weasel lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is one of the smaller sportive lemurs with a total length of about , including of tail. Average body weight is ap ...
(''Lepilemur ankaranensis'')
*** Betsileo sportive lemur
The betsileo sportive lemur (''Lepilemur betsileo'') is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de M ...
(''Lepilemur betsileo'')[
*** ]Gray-backed sportive lemur
The gray-backed sportive lemur (''Lepilemur dorsalis''), also known as Gray's sportive lemur or back-striped sportive lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss
Ha ...
(''Lepilemur dorsalis'')
*** Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur
Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur (''Lepilemur edwardsi''), or Milne-Edwards' weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threat ...
(''Lepilemur edwardsi'')
*** Fleurete's sportive lemur
Fleurete's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur fleuretae''), or the Andohahela sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is a medium-sized sportive lemur with a total length of about , of which about in are tail Fleurete's sporti ...
(''Lepilemur fleuretae'')[
*** ]Grewcock's sportive lemur
Grewcock's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur grewcockorum''), or the Anjiamangirana sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is a medium-sized sportive lemurs with a total length of about , of which are tail. Grewcock's sportive ...
(''Lepilemur grewcockorum'')[
*** ]Holland's sportive lemur
Holland's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur hollandorum''), or the Mananara-Nord sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur that is endemic to Madagascar. It is one of 26 species in the genus Lepilemur. This lemur is found specifically in the Mananara-Nord ...
(''Lepilemur hollandorum'')[
*** ]Hubbard's sportive lemur
Hubbard's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur hubbardorum''), or the Zombitse sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It has total length of about , of which are tail. Hubbard's sportive lemur is found north of the Onilahy River and ...
(''Lepilemur hubbardorum'')[
*** ]James' sportive lemur
James' sportive lemur (''Lepilemur jamesorum''), or the Manombo sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ...
(''Lepilemur jamesorum'')[
*** ]White-footed sportive lemur
The white-footed sportive lemur, white-footed weasel lemur, or dry-bush weasel lemur (''Lepilemur leucopus'') is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae, the sportive lemurs. It is similar in appearance to other lemurs in the family, with ...
(''Lepilemur leucopus'')
*** Small-toothed sportive lemur
The small-toothed sportive lemur (''Lepilemur microdon''), or small-toothed weasel lemur, is a primate species in the family Lepilemuridae that—like all extant lemurs—is endemic to Madagascar. The species lives in dense rainforest in southea ...
(''Lepilemur microdon'')
*** Daraina sportive lemur
The Daraina sportive lemur (''Lepilemur milanoii'') is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is a relatively small sportive lemur with a total length of about , of which are tail.
L. milanoii is found in northern Madagascar, living in dr ...
(''Lepilemur milanoii'')[
*** ]Mittermeier's sportive lemur
Mittermeier's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur mittermeieri'') is a sportive lemur endemic to the Ampasindava Peninsula in Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, l ...
(''Lepilemur mittermeieri'')
*** Weasel sportive lemur
The weasel sportive lemur (''Lepilemur mustelinus''), also known as the greater sportive lemur, weasel lemur, or greater weasel lemur, is a species of lemur native to northeastern Madagascar. Its habitat includes rainforests and tropical rainf ...
(''Lepilemur mustelinus'')
*** Otto's sportive lemur
Otto's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur otto''), or the Ambodimahabibo sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=n ...
(''Lepilemur otto'')[
*** ]Petter's sportive lemur
Petter's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur petteri'') is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is one of 26 species in the genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organ ...
(''Lepilemur petteri'')[
*** ]Randrianasolo's sportive lemur
Randrianasolo's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur randrianasoloi''), or the Bemaraha sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It has a total length of about , of which are tail. Randrianasolo's sportive lemur is found in western Ma ...
(''Lepilemur randrianasoloi'')[
*** ]Red-tailed sportive lemur
The red-tailed sportive lemur (''Lepilemur ruficaudatus''), or red-tailed weasel lemur, is native to Madagascar like all lemurs. It is a nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and slee ...
(''Lepilemur ruficaudatus'')
*** Sahamalaza sportive lemur
The Sahamalaza sportive lemur (''Lepilemur sahamalaza'') is a species of sportive lemur endemic to northern Madagascar.
Taxonomy
The sportive lemurs (Lepilemuridae) constitute a family with only a single genus, ''Lepilemur''. Relationships withi ...
(''Lepilemur sahamalazensis'')[
*** Scott's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur scottorum'')][
*** ]Seal's sportive lemur
Seal's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur seali''), or the Anjanaharibe-Sud sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is a large sportive lemur with a total length of about , of which are tail. Seal's sportive lemur is found in ...
(''Lepilemur seali'')[
*** ]Northern sportive lemur
The northern sportive lemur (''Lepilemur septentrionalis''), also known as the Sahafary sportive lemur or northern weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. As a result of severe ecological and ...
(''Lepilemur septentrionalis'')
*** Hawks' sportive lemur (''Lepilemur tymerlachsoni'')[
*** Wright's sportive lemur (''Lepilemur wrightae'')][
]
Physical characteristics
Their fur is grey brown or reddish colored on the top and whitish yellow underneath. They typically have a short head with large, round ears. They grow to a length of (with a tail just about as long as their body) and weigh up to . Their eyes have a tapetum lucidum
The ''tapetum lucidum'' ( ; ; ) is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrates and some other animals. Lying immediately behind the retina, it is a retroreflector. It reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light av ...
behind the retina, hence they have eyeshine
The ''tapetum lucidum'' ( ; ; ) is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrates and some other animals. Lying immediately behind the retina, it is a retroreflector. It reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light av ...
.
Behaviour and ecology
Sportive lemurs are strictly nocturnal
Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have ...
and predominantly arboreal
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose num ...
, moving among the trees with long jumps powered by their strong hind legs. On the ground, they hop similarly to the kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...
. During the day they hide in leafy covering or tree hollow
A tree hollow or tree hole is a semi-enclosed cavity which has naturally formed in the trunk or branch of a tree. They are found mainly in old trees, whether living or not. Hollows form in many species of trees, and are a prominent feature of nat ...
s. Sportive lemurs are mostly solitary and defend their territory against same sex intruders. The territories of males and females can overlap.
They are mainly herbivore
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthp ...
s and their diet consists predominantly of leaves.
Birthing happens between September and December after a gestation of 120 to 150 days, and is usually of a single young which is often reared in a nest in a tree hollow. At about four months the juveniles are weaned but remain with their mother up to an age of one year. At about 18 months they are fully mature, and live to be about eight years old.
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q834470
Folivores
Sportive lemurs