Microcebus berthae (lat.) Is the smallest primate known to science, found only on the island of Madagascar . The species epithet is given in honor of the Malagasy anthropologist Berta Rakotosamimanan.
| Microcebus berthae | ||||||||||||||
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| Microcebus berthae Rasoloarison , Goodman & Ganzhorn , 2000 | ||||||||||||||
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International Red Book IUCN 3.1 Endangered : 41573 |
Description
The body length is only 9–9.5 cm, and the lemur weighs 24–38 grams. The lemur has a long tail 13-14 cm long. The fur is short and thick. The color of the upper body is reddish-brown in color with a dark stripe along the back from the shoulders to the tail, while the fur on the belly is cream or pale gray. The head is round, orange, lighter than the rest of the body. The muzzle is short, there is a white spot above the nose, an ocular ocular ring of cinnamon color, large ears and bare fingers. He has very large, forward-looking eyes with a shiny layer behind the retina that reflects light, thereby greatly improving night vision.
Distribution
Endemic of Madagascar. It was found in the western part of the island in the Kirindi National Park. Area of no more than 900 km². The habitat of the species is dry deciduous forest.
Lifestyle
The species is active at night , prefers to stay on the trees. In the daytime, lemurs sleep in nests of leaves arranged on vines and other climbing plants. Lead a solitary lifestyle.
An omnivorous animal, eating along with insects also fruits and other plant material. In order to save energy, it daily becomes numb for a short time.
Literature
- Nick Garbutt: Mammals of Madagascar. A Complete Guide. Yale University Press, New Haven CT 2007, ISBN 978-0-300-12550-4 .
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Hrsg.): Mammal Species of the World . 3. Ausgabe. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .