Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur or Milne-Edwards' weasel lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi)
Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi), or Milne-Edwards' weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae.
Description
Lepilemur edwardsi is a species of lemur in the genus Lepilemur, which are popularly known as leaping lemurs. Lepilemur edwardsi are among the largest of the Lepilemur family.
Body length 27 to 29 cm, tail length approximately equal to body length. Weight 700 to 1000 grams.
The coat is greyish brown and the tip of the tail is white. Some specimens have a dark stripe down the centre of the back. Sexual dimorphism is not expressed.
Distribution
Lepilemur edwardsi is found in the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar, its range extending from the Betsibuka River to the Mahayamba River.
Lifestyle
Although its range is very fragmented, Lepilemur edwardsi is quite common. The population density in Ankarafantsika National Park is estimated at 60 individuals per km2. Active at night, it sleeps in tree hollows during the day.
Diet
This species of sportive lemur is entirely folivorous. They tend to be in competition for food resources with other species from the areas, therefore second-class leaves are often their only available form of sustenance. Observation shows that the Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur generally travels in groups of two to five individuals during the night to feed on the same trees as a group, without showing signs of aggressiveness.
Studies have also found that their distribution and group size are intrinsically linked to availability of food resources, hence males and females compete for food together, but they find more benefits in defending the scarce resources as pairs even though feeding two mouths is more difficult than feeding one.
Reproduction
Lepilemur edwardsi are monogamous. They form family pairs, each occupying its own territory. The mating season is from May to June, which coincides with the onset of the dry season. Females are in oestrus from May to July each year. Pregnancy lasts 4 to 5 months, with only one offspring per litter.
Lepilemur edwardsi in the Red Data Book
The area is less than 20,000 km² and the distribution area is very fragmented. Due to habitat destruction and hunting, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has designated the species as "vulnerable".
