Lac Alaotra Gentle Lemur
Encyclopedia
The Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis), also known as the Lac Alaotra gentle lemur, Alaotran bamboo lemur, Alaotran gentle lemur, or locally as the , is a bamboo lemur
. It is endemic to the reed beds in and around Lac Alaotra, in northeast Madagascar
. The Alaotran lemur is the only primate specifically adapted to living in papyrus
reeds. Unlike other bamboo lemurs, the Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur does not eat bamboo; instead, it feeds on the papyrus reeds of its habitat.
Its tail and body are both 40 cm on average, and it weighs between 1.1 and 1.4 kg, with males slightly larger than females. Its dense woolly fur is a gray-brown on the back, lighter gray on the face and chest, and chestnut brown on the head and neck.
The classification of the bandro is disputed, with some classifying it as a subspecies of Hapalemur griseus, while others see it as a separate species. Current genetic data do not support species status. Mitochondrial DNA sequences from the two populations H. g. griseus and H. g. alaotrensis are interspersed with each other on the phylogenetic tree. Moreover, average genetic distances between the two subspecies are within the range of within-taxon comparisons and not in the range of between-taxon comparisons. A final assessment of species versus subspecies status requires filling in gaps in sampling and the use of nuclear loci. GenBank, the universal repository for genetic sequence information, has not accepted the species status of the Aloatran lemur and lists it as a subspecies.
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
has a Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur conservation program.
Bamboo lemur
The bamboo or gentle lemurs are the lemurs in genus Hapalemur. They are medium sized primates that live exclusively on Madagascar...
. It is endemic to the reed beds in and around Lac Alaotra, in northeast Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. The Alaotran lemur is the only primate specifically adapted to living in papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
reeds. Unlike other bamboo lemurs, the Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur does not eat bamboo; instead, it feeds on the papyrus reeds of its habitat.
Its tail and body are both 40 cm on average, and it weighs between 1.1 and 1.4 kg, with males slightly larger than females. Its dense woolly fur is a gray-brown on the back, lighter gray on the face and chest, and chestnut brown on the head and neck.
The classification of the bandro is disputed, with some classifying it as a subspecies of Hapalemur griseus, while others see it as a separate species. Current genetic data do not support species status. Mitochondrial DNA sequences from the two populations H. g. griseus and H. g. alaotrensis are interspersed with each other on the phylogenetic tree. Moreover, average genetic distances between the two subspecies are within the range of within-taxon comparisons and not in the range of between-taxon comparisons. A final assessment of species versus subspecies status requires filling in gaps in sampling and the use of nuclear loci. GenBank, the universal repository for genetic sequence information, has not accepted the species status of the Aloatran lemur and lists it as a subspecies.
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organisation with a mission to save species from extinction.Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the Dodo as its symbol...
has a Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur conservation program.