Berenty Reserve

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Lemur catta in Berenty Reserve Lemur catta 003.jpg
Lemur catta in Berenty Reserve

Berenty Reserve is a small private reserve, near Amboasary Sud, Anosy. It is situated along the Mandrare River, set in the semi-arid spiny forest ecoregion of the far south of Madagascar. For more than three decades the late primatologist Alison Jolly (who started the research at Berenty), [1] [2] [3] [4] other researchers [5] [6] and students have visited Berenty to conduct fieldwork on lemurs. The reserve is also a favourite for visitors who want to see some of Madagascar's endemic bird species, which include owls and couas.

Contents

The reserve has accommodation in the forest and a set of forest trails to explore. It attracts the most visitors of any Madagascar nature reserve. It is reached after a two-hour drive from Tôlagnaro on the southeast coast.

List of lemur species found in Berenty Reserve [7]
Viewing timeSpecies
Daytime
Nighttime

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemuridae</span> Family of lemurs

Lemuridae is a family of strepsirrhine primates native to Madagascar and the Comoros. They are represented by the Lemuriformes in Madagascar with one of the highest concentration of the lemurs. One of five families commonly known as lemurs. These animals were once thought to be the evolutionary predecessors of monkeys and apes, but this is no longer considered correct. They are formally referred to as lemurids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemur</span> Clade of primates endemic to the island of Madagascar

Lemurs are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea, divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They chiefly live in trees and are active at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring-tailed lemur</span> A large lemur from Madagascar

The ring-tailed lemur is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate, and the most internationally-recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs, it is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is endangered. Known locally in Malagasy as maky or hira, it ranges from gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island. It is omnivorous, as well as the most adapted to living terrestrially of the extant lemurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-brown mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

The golden-brown mouse lemur, also known as the (Lac) Ravelobe mouse lemur, is part of the Cheirogaleidae family, and the smallest species of lemur. It is arboreal, nocturnal and usually social. It get its name from the color of its body. Like several other mouse lemurs, like the brown mouse lemur, it is a small primate that has a brown dorsal side and a whitish-grey for its ventral side of the body. All lemurs live in Madagascar. This species was discovered in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankarana Special Reserve</span> Protected area in northern Madagascar

Ankarana Special Reserve is a protected area in northern Madagascar created in 1956. It is a small, partially vegetated plateau composed of 150-million-year-old middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about 2,000 millimetres (79 in), the underlying rocks have been eroded to produce caves and feed subterranean rivers—a karst topography. The rugged relief and the dense vegetation have helped protect the region from human intrusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathemerality</span> Irregular organismal activity pattern

Cathemerality, sometimes called metaturnality, is an organismal activity pattern of irregular intervals during the day or night in which food is acquired, socializing with other organisms occurs, and any other activities necessary for livelihood are undertaken. This activity differs from the generally monophasic pattern of nocturnal and diurnal species as it is polyphasic and is approximately evenly distributed throughout the 24-hour cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowned lemur</span> Species of lemur

The crowned lemur is a lemur that is 31–36 cm (12–14 in) long and weighs 2 kg (4.4 lb). Its tail is about 42–51 cm (17–20 in) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar spiny forests</span> Ecoregion in Southwest Madagascar

The Madagascar spiny forests is an ecoregion in the southwest of Madagascar. The vegetation type is found on poor substrates with low, erratic winter rainfall. The ecoregion contains an outstanding proportion of endemic plant species and is listed as one of the 200 most important ecological regions in the world; one of the Global 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar dry deciduous forests</span> Tropical dry forest ecoregion in Madagascar

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Alison Jolly was a primatologist, known for her studies of lemur biology. She wrote several books for both popular and scientific audiences and conducted extensive fieldwork on Lemurs in Madagascar, primarily at the Berenty Reserve, a small private reserve of gallery forest set in the semi-arid spiny desert area in the far south of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common brown lemur</span> Species of lemur

The common brown lemur is a species of lemur in the family Lemuridae. It is found in Madagascar and has been introduced to Mayotte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-footed sportive lemur</span> Species of lemur

The white-footed sportive lemur, white-footed weasel lemur, or dry-bush weasel lemur is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae, the sportive lemurs. It is similar in appearance to other lemurs in the family, with a grey back, a pale grey to white ventral side, and a light brown tail. It is a nocturnal animal that moves through the forest using a vertical clinging and leaping technique. It is endemic to Madagascar, inhabiting the southern subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture practices and charcoal production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small-toothed sportive lemur</span> Species of primate from Madagascar

The small-toothed sportive lemur, or small-toothed weasel lemur, is a primate species in the family Lepilemuridae that—like all extant lemurs—is endemic to Madagascar. The species lives in dense rainforest in southeastern Madagascar, and can be found in Ranomafana and Andringitra National Parks. Described in 1894, it was considered either a subspecies or taxonomic synonym of the weasel sportive lemur throughout most of the 20th century. Phylogenetic studies not only support its species status, but also suggest that it is the only eastern Malagasy sportive lemur that is more closely related to western than to other eastern species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern sportive lemur</span> Species of lemur

The northern sportive lemur, also known as the Sahafary sportive lemur or northern weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. As a result of severe ecological and human pressures, the lemur is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fork-marked lemur</span> Genus of Madagascan primates

Fork-marked lemurs or fork-crowned lemurs are strepsirrhine primates; the four species comprise the genus Phaner. Like all lemurs, they are native to Madagascar, where they are found only in the west, north, and east sides of the island. They are named for the two black stripes which run up from the eyes, converge on the top of the head, and run down the back as a single black stripe. They were originally placed in the genus Lemur in 1839, later moved between the genera Cheirogaleus and Microcebus, and given their own genus in 1870 by John Edward Gray. Only one species was recognized, until three subspecies described in 1991 were promoted to species status in 2001. New species may yet be identified, particularly in northeast Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared brown lemur</span> Species of lemur

The collared brown lemur, also known as the red-collared brown lemur or red-collared lemur, is a medium-sized strepsirrhine primate and one of twelve species of brown lemur in the family Lemuridae. It is only found in south-eastern Madagascar. Like most species of lemur, it is arboreal, moving quadrupedally and occasionally leaping from tree to tree. Like other brown lemurs, this species is cathemeral, lives in social groups, primarily eats fruit, exhibits sexual dichromatism, and does not demonstrate female dominance. The species is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is threatened primarily by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsimanampetsotsa National Park</span>

Tsimanampetsotsa National Park also spelt Tsimanampetsotse, and known as Tsimanampetsotsa Nature Reserve is a 432 km2 national park on the south-west coast of Madagascar in the region Atsimo-Andrefana. The park is 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Toliara and 950 kilometres (590 mi) south of the capital, Antananarivo. Route Nationales (RN) 10 to Faux Cap passes the park and the nearest airport is at Toliara. The national park contains and is named after Lake Tsimanampetsotsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-and-white ruffed lemur</span> Species of lemur

The black-and-white ruffed lemur is an endangered species of ruffed lemur, one of two which are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Despite having a larger range than the red ruffed lemur, it has a much smaller population that is spread out, living in lower population densities and reproductively isolated. It also has less coverage and protection in large national parks than the red ruffed lemur. Three subspecies of black-and-white ruffed lemur have been recognized since the red ruffed lemur was elevated to species status in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar succulent woodlands</span>

The Madagascar succulent woodlands are a xeric shrublands ecoregion in southwestern and central western Madagascar. Native plants survive in the arid climate and long dry season with adaptations like succulent leaves, water storing trunks, photosynthetic stems, and dropping leaves during the dry season. The ecoregion is threatened by various human activities.

Quivisianthe, known as valiandro, is a genus of flowering plants in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. It has only one currently accepted species, Quivisianthe papinae, native to Madagascar. Common canopy trees, they are an important food source for ring-tailed lemurs in the dry season.

References

  1. Lemur behavior: a Madagascar field study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1964.
  2. Mertl-Millhollen, AS; Gustafson, HL; Budnitz, N; Dainis, K; Jolly, A (1979). "Population and territory stability of Lemur catta at Berenty, Madagascar". Folia Primatologica. 31 (1–2): 106–123. doi:10.1159/000155875. PMID   114464.
  3. Jolly, A.; et al. (1982). "Population and troop ranges of Lemur catta and Lemur fulvus at Berenty, Madagascar: 1980 census". Folia Primatologica. 39 (1–2): 115–123. doi:10.1159/000156070. PMID   7141348.
  4. Jolly, A.; et al. (1982). "Propithecus verreauxi population and ranging at Berenty, Madagascar: 1975 and 1980". Folia Primatologica. 39 (1–2): 124–144. doi:10.1159/000156071. PMID   7141349.
  5. Howarth, C.J.; et al. (1986). "Population Ecology of the Ring-tailed Lemur and the White Sifaka at Berenty, 1981". Folia Primatologica. 47 (1): 39–48. doi:10.1159/000156262. PMID   3557229.
  6. Wilson, Jane (1995). Lemurs of the Lost World. Impact, London. p. 216. ISBN   978-1-874687-48-1.
  7. Mittermeier, R.A.; Louis, E.E.; Richardson, M.; Schwitzer, C.; et al. (2010). Lemurs of Madagascar . Illustrated by S.D. Nash (3rd ed.). Conservation International. p. 640–644. ISBN   978-1-934151-23-5. OCLC   670545286.

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