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.
The pygmy mouse lemur, also known as Peters' mouse lemur or dormouse lemur, is a primate weighing only 43–55 g (1.5–1.9 oz); it is the second smallest of the mouse lemurs. Its dorsal side is a rufous-brown colour, and creamy-white ventrally. It lives in dry deciduous forests.
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. All lemurs live in Madagascar. This species was discovered in 1994.
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.
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.
Jolly's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur from Mananjary and Kianjavato in Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Alison Jolly.
Mittermeier's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve in Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Russell Mittermeier, who is President of Conservation International.
Simmons' mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from Betampona Special Reserve, Analalava Special Community Reserve near Foulpointe, and Zahamena National Park in Madagascar.
Claire's mouse lemur, or the Nosy Be mouse lemur, is a newly described species of lemur from the genus of the mouse lemurs (Microcebus). It lives on the island Nosy Bé in the Antsiranana province of Madagascar, and on the mainland near the village of Manehoka, including Lokobe Reserve. The scientific type name, mamiratra, comes from Malagasy and means "clear and bright"; this refers the Theodore F. and Claire M. Hubbard Family Foundation, which has contributed to genetic research on Madagascar. This species is closely related to another new species, "M. species nova # 5"; which is related to the Sambirano mouse lemur, Microcebus sambiranensis, and the northern rufous mouse lemur, Microcebus tavaratra.
The northern rufous mouse lemur, northern brown mouse lemur, or Tavaratra mouse lemur is found in Northern Madagascar from the Ankarana National Park in the West to the river Manambato in Northeast and up to the Irodo river in the North of the Analamerana Special Reserve. The complete distribution range of M. tavaratra is still to be defined as some areas surrounding the described distribution have not been visited yet. For example, M.tavaratra has been reported to possibly occur from the Irodo up to the Montagne des Francais by Louis and collaborators in. Its known distribution cover four protected areas the Ankarana National Park, and the Analamerana Special Reserve both managed by Madagascar National Parks, the Loky-Manambato Region (Daraina) and the Andavakoeira-Andrafiamena protected area, both Managed by the NGO Fanamby
The mouse lemurs are nocturnal lemurs of the genus Microcebus. Like all lemurs, mouse lemurs are native to Madagascar.
Danfoss' mouse lemur, or the Ambarijeby mouse lemur, is a species of mouse lemur endemic to Madagascar. It lives in western deciduous forest within a limited range between the Sofia River and the Maevarano River. It is a relatively large reddish mouse lemur with a total length of 25 to 29 centimeters, including 15 to 17 centimeters of tail. The Danfoss' mouse lemur has short, dense fur, and a white stripe runs between the eyes. This species has been found in substantial populations in the Ambarijevy, Anjajavy, and Beanamaolo forests in Madagascar.
Lemurs were first classified in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, and the taxonomy remains controversial today, with approximately 70 to 100 species and subspecies recognized, depending on how the term "species" is defined. Having undergone their own independent evolution on Madagascar, lemurs have diversified to fill many ecological niches normally filled by other types of mammals. They include the smallest primates in the world, and once included some of the largest. Since the arrival of humans approximately 2,000 years ago, lemurs have become restricted to 10% of the island, or approximately 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 sq mi), and many face extinction. Concerns over lemur conservation have affected lemur taxonomy, since distinct species receive increased conservation attention compared to subspecies.
Gerp's mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from the Sahafina Forest in eastern Madagascar, near Mantadia National Park. Its discovery was announced in 2012 by a German and Malagasy research team. The Sahafina Forest had not been studied until 2008 and 2009, when Groupe d'Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP)—a Malagasy-based research and conservation group for which the lemur is named—inventoried the forest's lemurs.
The Anosy mouse lemur is a species of mouse lemur known only from the Manantantely Forest and Ivorona Forest in southeastern Madagascar, near Tôlanaro. Specimens were first collected in April 2007, and its discovery was announced in 2013 along with the Marohita mouse lemur. It is a relatively large mouse lemur and lives in the same region as the gray mouse lemur (M. murinus) and the reddish-gray mouse lemur (M. griseorufus), all three of which are found within 10 km (6.2 mi) of each other and are nearly identical in appearance. It has dark brownish fur on its back and light-colored fur on its underside. Nothing is known about its behavior. Its conservation status has not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although its known habitat has degraded since 2007.
Ganzhorn's mouse lemur is a species of lemur described in 2016. The discovery was made by researchers at the German Primate Center. It was discovered in Madagascar among closely related species such as Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, already described in 2013. Due to their close resemblance, it was initially impossible to identify them as distinct species. It was only after genetic analyses that the species was established. The genetic study was done in collaboration with scientists at the University of Kentucky, the Duke Lemur Center and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar.
The Bemanasy mouse lemur, Microcebus manitatra, is a species of mouse lemur described in 2016 from Madagascar. It was discovered by a team of researchers at the German Primate Center. It was initially discovered among closely related species such as Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, Boraha mouse lemur, and Ganzhorn's mouse lemur. Morphological similarity made it impossible to identify them as distinct species. A genetic study was done in collaboration with scientists at the University of Kentucky, the Duke Lemur Center and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar. The mtDNA sequencing revealed that the species was unique.
