Southern Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus adipicaudatus)


MORPHOLOGY:
The dental formula of this species is 2:1:3:3 on both the upper and lower jaws (Ankel-Simons, 2000). The southern dwarf lemur has a pelage coloration that is dark dorsally and gray ventrally (Groves, 2000). There is a vaguely expressed dorsal stripe running down the back (Groves, 2000). The southern dwarf lemur has a relatively short white median facial stripe (Groves, 2000). The eye-rings are black (Groves, 2000). The digits of this species are white (Groves, 2000).

RANGE:
The southern dwarf lemur is found in the country of Madagascar (Groves, 2000). This species is known from Tabiky and Fort Dauphin (Groves, 2000).

ECOLOGY:
The southern dwarf lemur is a nocturnal and an arboreal species.

LOCOMOTION:
The southern dwarf lemur is an arboreal quadruped, and is not a very agile leaper (Fleagle, 1988).

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR:
VOCAL COMMUNICATION:
squeak: This call is high in pitch and plaintive sounding and is emitted with the mouth closed (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979). This call is usually emitted by an infant and serves the purpose of a contact call, that is the infant desires the same call from its mother to keep in contact (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979). This call is also heard during allogrooming between adults (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979).

whistle: This call is high-pitched and is hard to hear with human ears (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979). This call is emitted by adults of both sexes and serves as a distant communication call and possibly a territorial call (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979).

grunt: This call is high-pitched and powerful in nature and also given in a series (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979). This call is given when an individual is attacked or disturbed in the nest (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979). At the same time the individual will try to retreat when giving this call, and will also sometimes lunge out and try to bite at what is disturbing it (Petter and Charles-Dominique, 1979).

OLFACTORY COMMUNICATION:
VISUAL COMMUNICATION:

TACTILE COMMUNICATION:

REPRODUCTION:
REFERENCES:
Ankel-Simons, F. 2000. Primate Anatomy: An Introduction. Academic Press: San Diego.

Fleagle, J. G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press.

Groves, C.P. 2000. The genus Cheirogaleus: Unrecognized biodiversity in dwarf lemurs. International Journal of Primatology. Vol. 21(6), 943-962.

Petter, J.J. and Charles-Dominique, P. 1979. Vocal communication in prosimians. in The Study of Prosimian Behavior. eds. Doyle, G.A. and Martin, R.D. Academic Press, New York.

Last Updated: October 6, 2003.
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