Milne-Edwards' Sifaka
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| Milne-Edwards' Sifaka[1] | ||||||||||||||
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| Propithecus edwardsi A. Grandidier, 1871 |
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Propithecus diadema edwardsi |
Milne-Edwards' Sifaka is a large arboreal, diurnal lemur endemic to the eastern coastal rainforest of Madagascar. Milne-Edwards' Sifaka is characterized by a black body with a light-colored "saddle" on the lower part of its back. It is closely related to the Diademed Sifaka, and was until recently considered a subspecies of it.[1] Like all sifakas, it is a primate in the family Indriidae.
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[edit] Conservation status
Milne-Edwards' Sifaka is categorized as Endangered by the IUCN.[2] As of 2008 there were estimated to be approximately 28600 individuals left with only about 3500 of those remaining in protected areas.[3] It remains threatened by habitat loss, hunting and may be sensitive to a changing climate.[3]
[edit] Locomotion
Milne-Edwards' Sifaka moves in groups quickly with a minimum of vocalization. The arboreal lifestyle of P. edwardsi demands high coordination, a well developed grip, and considerable acrobatics. This lemur moves by vertical clinging and leaping, meaning it maintains an upright position leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk and moving along branches. The lemur has well developed leg muscles and has been known to jump over 20 feet is a single bound. The lemur's leg length to arm length ratio is approximately the same as an adult human, which makes it ungainly for it to crawl on all fours; Milne-Edwards' Sifaka cannot walk upright. The lemur rarely descends from the relative safety of the canopy, so spends little time on the ground. P. edwardsi will solely use trees to traverse its habitat, however if forced to cross open area like roads it will use a two-legged sideways hop[4]
The hands and feet of the lemur have "thumbs" which allow it to maintain a superb grip on trunks and branches. The pads of its fingers and toes are rough and have a large contact area. Its nails are also sharp and pointed, which allows them to dig in if it slips. The sifaka practices climbing and leaping in its infancy when it ventures from its mother's back. It is not uncommon for infant lemurs to fall, whereupon the mother quickly comes to the startled infant's assistance. Adult lemurs typically don't fall although they may occasionally lose their grip if the bark of the tree shears off from beneath their fingers. Lemurs may carry food while they travel in their hands, though they prefer to place the objects in their mouth.
[edit] Research
Most of the research on Propithecus edwardsi is conducted at Ranamofana National Park in Madagascar. Most of the lemurs are collared and the lead females carry a tracking device. Currently there are no captive lemurs of this species.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 120. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ a b Baillie, J. (1996). Propithecus edwardsi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
- ^ a b Dunham, A. E., Erhart, E., Overdorff, D. J. & Wright, P. C. (2008). "Evaluating the effects of deforestation, hunting and El Nino on a threatened lemur". Biological Conservation 141: 287-297.
- ^ Propithecus diadema edwardsi
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