Coquerel's giant mouse lemur

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Coquerel's giant mouse lemur
Coquerel's Giant Mouse Lemur (Mirza coquereli) (9582508268).jpg
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Cheirogaleidae
Genus: Mirza
Species:
M. coquereli
Binomial name
Mirza coquereli
Mirza coquereli range map.svg
Coquerel's giant mouse lemur range [1]

Coquerel's giant mouse lemur (Mirza coquereli), also known as Coquerel's dwarf lemur or the southern giant mouse lemur, is a small nocturnal lemur endemic to Madagascar. This species can be found in parts of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests.

Contents

Behaviour

This lemur is active throughout the year; unlike mouse lemurs (Microcebus), it does not hibernate. It feeds on the larvae of hemiptera (the true bugs) to sustain itself. It is an arboreal species, and feeds on fruit, flowers, and small animals such as insects and spiders. Coquerel's giant mouse lemur is heavily preyed upon by owls.

Taxonomy

Coquerel's giant mouse lemur was named after the French entomologist Charles Coquerel. It was the only member of the genus Mirza until 2005, when a second species, the northern giant mouse lemur (M. zaza) was described.

Related Research Articles

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

The Cheirogaleidae are the family of strepsirrhine primates containing the various dwarf and mouse lemurs. Like all other lemurs, cheirogaleids live exclusively on the island of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sifaka</span> Genus of lemur

A sifaka is a lemur of the genus Propithecus from the family Indriidae within the order Primates. The name of their family is an onomatopoeia of their characteristic "shi-fak" alarm call. Like all lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar. All species of sifakas are threatened, ranging from endangered to critically endangered.

<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">Charles Coquerel</span> French navy surgeon, algologist and entomologist

Jean Charles Coquerel was a French navy surgeon, algologist, and entomologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant mouse lemur</span> Genus of small primates from Madagascar

The giant mouse lemurs are members of the strepsirrhine primate genus Mirza. Two species have been formally described; the northern giant mouse lemur and Coquerel's giant mouse lemur. Like all other lemurs, they are native to Madagascar, where they are found in the western dry deciduous forests and further to the north in the Sambirano Valley and Sahamalaza Peninsula. First described in 1867 as a single species, they were grouped with mouse lemurs and dwarf lemurs. In 1870, British zoologist John Edward Gray assigned them to their own genus, Mirza. The classification was not widely accepted until the 1990s, which followed the revival of the genus by American paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall in 1982. In 2005, the northern population was declared a new species, and in 2010, the World Wide Fund for Nature announced that a southwestern population might also be a new species.

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

The northern giant mouse lemur, or northern dwarf lemur, is a species of lemur discovered in 2005. They are part of the primate order, and classified in the family Cheirogaleidae. Previously, both populations of giant mouse lemurs were believed to belong to one species. The northern giant mouse lemurs are small nocturnal lemurs endemic to Madagascar. They weigh about 300 grams (11 oz), and have long, bushy tails and relatively small ears. Their large testicles are an indication of their promiscuous copulation system. These lemurs have been found to use communal sleeping nests including multiple males, which is an uncommon behaviour in lemurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodman's mouse lemur</span> Species of mammal

Goodman's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur from the region near Andasibe in eastern Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Steven M. Goodman. "Lehilahytsara" is a combination of the Malagasy words which mean "good" and "man". The finding was presented August 10, 2005, along with the discovery of the northern giant mouse lemur as a separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mittermeier's mouse lemur</span> Species of lemur

Mittermeier's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve in Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coquerel's sifaka</span> Diurnal, medium-sized lemur

Coquerel's sifaka is a diurnal, medium-sized lemur of the sifaka genus Propithecus. It is native to northwest Madagascar. Coquerel's sifaka was once considered to be a subspecies of Verreaux's sifaka, but was eventually granted full species level, and is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and hunting. In popular culture, it is known for being the species of the title character in the children's TV show Zoboomafoo. The species was named after French entomologist Charles Coquerel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masoala fork-marked lemur</span> Species of lemur

The Masoala fork-marked lemur, also known as the eastern fork-marked lemur or Masoala fork-crowned lemur, is a species of lemur found in the coastal forests of northeastern Madagascar. It is a small nocturnal animal with large eyes, greyish fur and a long tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Berthe's mouse lemur</span> Species of mammal

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur or Berthe's mouse lemur is the smallest of the mouse lemurs and the smallest primate in the world; the average body length is 9.2 cm (3.6 in) and seasonal weight is around 30 g (1.1 oz). Microcebus berthae is one of many species of Malagasy lemurs that came about through extensive speciation, caused by unknown environmental mechanisms and conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coquerel's coua</span> Species of bird

Coquerel's coua is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It was named in 1867 by the French naturalist Alfred Grandidier in honor of the French navy surgeon and naturalist Charles Coquerel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pariente's fork-marked lemur</span> Species of lemur

Pariente's fork-marked lemur, or the Sambirano fork-marked lemur is a species of lemur endemic to the Sambirano region of north-western Madagascar. This lemur has light brown to gray upperparts, a prominent facial fork and dorsal stripe that runs from the tail's tip to the point where it splits on the lemur's head to rejoin at the nose, and a white-tipped tail. It is found in lowland and mid-altitude humid forests and is nocturnal. It is an omnivore, eating tree gum, sap, bud exudes, insects and larvae. It sleeps in nests that have been abandoned by other lemurs, particularly Coquerel's giant mouse lemur. This species is relatively unknown, though it is threatened by habitat destruction. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Masoala fork-marked lemur. It is listed on CITES Appendix I.

<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">Kirindy Mitea National Park</span> National park in Madagascar

The Kirindy Mitea National Park is a national park on the coast of the Mozambique Channel, in south-west Madagascar. The 72,200 hectares park contains many endemic animals and plants and claims to have the greatest density of primates in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makay Massif</span> Mountain range in Madagascar

The Makay Massif is a mountain range in western Madagascar.

References

  1. 1 2 LaFleur, M. (2020). "Mirza coquereli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T13584A115567718. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T13584A115567718.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 113. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.