The hairy-eared dwarf lemur (Allocebus trichotis), or hairy-eared mouse lemur
The hairy-eared dwarf lemur (Allocebus trichotis), or hairy-eared mouse lemur, is one of the most scarcely known lemurs. A. trichotis is a nocturnal lemur that is endemic to Madagascar. It was originally named by Albert Günther in 1875 as Cheirogaleus trichotis as part of the Cheirogaleidae family, or the dwarf lemurs. In 1967 Petter-Rousseaux and Petter reassigned the lemur to its own genus and is the now the only member of the genus Allocebus. The hairy-eared dwarf lemur was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1989 in a northeastern primary lowland rainforest. The population of these mammals is shown to be severely decreasing and largely fragmented throughout Northern and Eastern Madagascar rainforests; most likely due to hunting, trapping, slash-and-burn agriculture as well as habitat fragmentation.
Description and distribution
Allocebus trichotis is a species of nocturnal strepsirrhine primate (Allocebus) of the dwarf lemur family.
Endemic to Madagascar. The species is endangered.
The hairy-eared dwarf lemur is one of the smallest primates, up to 30 centimetres long and weighing 80-100 grams. Externally similar to mouse and rat lemurs, Allocebus trichotis is probably sometimes confused with mouse lemurs, leading to an underestimate of its population size.
Confirmed range is the lowland rainforests of eastern Madagascar in the Mananara River area; after 1989, subpopulations have also been found in several national parks and reserves in other parts of eastern Madagascar.
Life history and reproduction
Allocebus trichotis are nocturnal. They nest in tree hollows in groups of two to six, usually lined with thatch. From May to September they probably hibernate in tree hollows.
It is not certain what they eat, but the arrangement of their claws and teeth may suggest that plant resins form the basis of their diet and a long tongue may help them to drink nectar.
The breeding period of Allocebus trichotis is also not conclusively known, but juveniles found in March are half the size of adults, suggesting that the heat wave occurs at the beginning of the rainy season in November and December, while the young are born in January and February, as in the closely related genera of mouse and pygmy lemurs.
Vocalization
Little is known about the vocalization of the species, but recordings show their call is a short whistling series and harmonic; very similar to Microcebus.
Conservation status
Allocebus trichotis are endangered because their native forests are heavily deforested and used as food by local people. In 1994 and 2004, the total population was estimated at between 100 and 1,000 individuals. In 1996, the IUCN listed Allocebus trichotis as critically endangered. In 2000, due to the discovery of new populations, which may mean a higher total number than expected, they were placed on the endangered list.
