Lemurs of Madagascar (book)
Encyclopedia
Lemurs of Madagascar, currently in its third edition, is a reference work
and field guide
for the lemur
s of Madagascar
, giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier
, president of Conservation International
, and the cover art and illustrations were drawn by Stephen D. Nash. The book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and also helps travelers identify species they may encounter. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists.
The first edition was reviewed favorably in the International Journal of Primatology
, Conservation Biology
, and Lemur News. Reviewers, including Alison Jolly
, praised the book for its meticulous coverage of each species, numerous high-quality illustrations, and engaging discussion of lemur topics, including conservation, evolution, and the recently extinct subfossil lemur
s. Each agreed that the book was an excellent resource for a wide audience, including ecotourists
and lemur researchers. A lengthy review of the second edition was published in the American Journal of Primatology
, where it received similar favorable comments, plus praise for its updates and enhancements. The third edition was reviewed favorably in Lemur News; the reviewer praised the expanded content of the book, but was concerned that the edition was not as portable as its predecessors.
The first edition identified 50 lemur species and subspecies, compared to 71 in the second edition and 101 in the third. The taxonomy
promoted by these books has been questioned by researchers, such as Ian Tattersall
, who view these growing numbers of lemur species as insufficiently justified inflation of species numbers (taxonomic inflation
).
, and is intended as a field guide that identifies all of the known lemur species from Madagascar. The first edition of Lemurs of Madagascar was published in 1994 and contained 356 pages. The 520-page second edition was published in 2006 and is now officially out of print, having been followed by the 767-page third edition in the fall of 2010.
For all three editions, Stephen D. Nash, winner of the 2004 American Society of Primatologists
President's Award, has been the illustrator and front cover artist. The main author for all three editions is Russell A. Mittermeier, president of CI and a well-published primatologist
, herpetologist
and biological anthropologist
. In the first edition, four other authors were also listed: Ian Tattersall, a curator in the Division of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History
; William R. Konstant, the Director of Conservation and Science at the Houston Zoo
; David M. Meyers, a researcher and conservationist who has worked with CI, the World Wildlife Fund, and other conservation and development organizations; and Roderic B. Mast, marine biologist
, primatologist, and the founding Director of CI's Madagascar Program.
The second edition was authored by Mittermeier, Konstant, Tattersall, and Meyers, as well as seven new authors: Frank Hawkins, the Technical Director for CI in Madagascar; Edward E. Louis, the conservation geneticist for Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
's Center for Conservation and Research; Olivier Langrand, CI's Senior Vice President for Africa and Madagascar; Jonah H. Ratsimbazafy, the Scientific Coordinator for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
- Madagascar Program; Rodin Rasoloarison, a field researcher and research coordinator at the German Primate Center
; Jörg U. Ganzhorn, professor at in the Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation at the University of Hamburg
and Chairman for the Madagascar section of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission
(IUCN/SSC) Primate Specialist Group since 1998; and Serge Rajaobelina, the President of Fanamby, a Malagasy non-governmental environmental organization
.
The list of authors changed again with the third edition. Returning authors included Mittermeier, Louis, Langrand, Hawkins, Rajaobelina, Ratsimbazafy, and Rasoloarison. New authors included Matthew Richardson, writer and member of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group; Christoph Schwitzer, the Head of Research at the Bristol Zoo Gardens; Anthony Rylands, a Senior Research Scientist at Conservation International and Deputy Chair of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group; Christian Roos, a geneticist at the German Primate Center; Peter M. Kappeler, a Professor of Sociobiology and Anthropology at the University of Göttingen in Germany; and James MacKinnon, the Senior Technical Director of Conservation International in Madagascar.
The first edition followed a 1982 volume by Tattersall, entitled Primates of Madagascar. As a field guide, the Lemurs of Madagascar is "more portable and affordable," while offering updated information to assist lemur researchers and tourists in the identification of lemur species and subspecies, according to a 1996 review published in Lemur News. All three editions cover the natural history
and conservation status
for each known species. They also discuss conservation strategies, lemur origins, extinct lemurs
, and the history of discoveries made by early European naturalists. The books provide suggestions on where to see each species, as well as checklists to help people keep track of their sightings. The purpose of the book is defined in the "Introduction" as follows:
Four pocket field guides have also been published by CI, intended strictly to help people identify lemurs in the field by providing over 100 species illustrations. All illustrations, including the detailed cover art, were drawn by Nash. Checklists for their respective lemur species are included with these guides, along with thumbnail
range maps for each species. The four pocket guides include two editions of Lemurs of Madagascar Pocket Identification Guide (out of print), Nocturnal Lemurs, and Diurnal and Cathemeral Lemurs. The Nocturnal Lemurs booklet contains 65 species from eight genera
. Diurnal and Cathemeral Lemurs hosts 34 species and subspecies from seven genera, along with illustrations to show male and female fur color differences in the genus Eulemur and color morphs
for the indri
and ruffed lemur
species. A fifth and sixth pocket field guides are planned following the publication of the third edition of the field guide.
The "Introduction" in the first two editions was written by Peter A. Seligmann, Chairman of the Board and CEO of CI, and Mittermeier. In the third edition, the "Introduction" was written only by Mittermeier. In it, they emphasize the richness of Madagascar's primate diversity, summarize the conservation efforts and opportunities for preserving that diversity, and highlight recent discoveries, while also acknowledging the need for additional research. The chapter entitled "Origins of Lemurs" ("Origin of the Lemurs" in the third edition) briefly summarizes the theories on how lemurs came to Madagascar and the difficulty in resolving the mystery. "Discovery and Study of the Living Lemurs" reviews the history of exploration, field research, and taxonomic nomenclature
of lemurs, starting from the 1625 description of a Ring-tailed Lemur
to contemporary research by Western and Malagasy scientists. "The Extinct Lemurs" discusses the recently extinct subfossil lemurs, including the monkey lemur
s, sloth lemurs, and koala lemurs. "Conservation of Lemurs" details the threats lemurs face, such as habitat destruction
and hunting for bushmeat
, and conservation efforts aimed at their protection, from the in-situ
and ex-situ
programs of the Madagascar Fauna Group
to the promise by Madagascar's former president Marc Ravalomanana
to triple the country's protected areas over five years, known as the Durban Vision. In the third edition, a new chapter was added, entitled "Madagascar's Ancient Geological History", written by Maarten de Wit from the University of Cape Town
. In it, three billion years of geological and biological history are explored in detail.
The majority of the book, including the chapter "The Living Lemurs" and separate sections on each taxonomic group of lemur, providing detailed accounts of all lemur species known up until the time of publication, from the tiny mouse lemur
s to the large indri
and diademed sifaka
. In the first and second editions, the chapter "The Living Lemurs" is broken first into sections on families
, and then into species clumped together by genus
. In the third edition, each family is assigned its own chapter number, separate from "The Living Lemurs" chapter, yet the order and layout are the same. In the second and third editions, all pages within each family section are assigned a colored tab to match those in the quick visual reference inside the covers. Each species subsection has a distribution map, an illustration or photo (if available), a list of common names in multiple languages (including Malagasy
), and species information broken into five sections: "Identification", "Geographic Range", "Natural History", "Conservation Status", and "Where to See It".
The "Identification" section for each species provides descriptive information to help identify and distinguish species, including a detailed physical description, discussions of variation in size and coloration (morphometrics
), and descriptions of distinguishing vocalizations. "Geographic Range" offers textual information to accompany the provided distribution map, although the authors note that ranges change due to habitat destruction and that species may be found in new localities outside of their known range. "Natural History" summarizes what is known about the behavior and ecology of each species, such as the unusual feeding strategies of the aye-aye
or the nest-building behavior of the ruffed lemur
s. Estimated populations densities and distributions, life histories
, diet, social structure, and other details are provided when known. For many species, little information is given due to a lack of research, while others have been studied extensively allowing for more elaborate detail. "Conservation Status" lists the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
assessment and protected area
s in which a species can be found, while also discussing specific threats to each species, the affects of local taboo
s (known locally as fady), the future outlook for species survival, and its coverage within protected area
s. Lastly, "Where to See It" aims to promote ecotourism by helping travelers find the best lemur watching sites that can be reached quickly and with the least effort. Suggested modes of transportation are sometimes mentioned as well.
The appendices differ between editions. The first edition has two appendices. The first is entitled "Lemurs Present in Protected Areas" and discusses each region and domain of Madagascar while also providing basic information and lemur species content for each protected area. The second appendix, "Alternative Names for Towns and Sites in Madagascar" spells out a few alternative French and Malagasy names for some of the larger town and cities in Madagascar. In the second and third editions, Appendix A, "Maps of Madagascar", contains color maps that help locate towns, protected areas, topography, rivers, forest cover, regions, and lemur watching sites. Appendix B, entitled "Biogeographic Regions and Floristic Domains of Madagascar" discusses the regions and domains of Madagascar. Appendix C, "Key Sites for Watching Lemurs", covers characteristics and highlights of individual national parks, reserves, and regions for lemur watching. The third edition added Appendix D, entitled "Primate-watching and Primate Life-listing". In it, primate-watching and primate life-listing (the act of recording recording personal first sightings of a species) are promoted while their benefits to conservation are discussed.
All three editions provide a "References" section, with the second edition listing approximately 500 scientific papers, books, reports, and dissertations used in the creation of the book. The number of references jumped to over 1,100 in the third edition. Following the "References", the first edition provides a section with the color plates
. In contrast, the second and third editions provides color illustrations throughout the book.
by George Eberhart in April 1996. The review noted Conservation International's promotion of ecotourism
while also providing a count of the book's illustrations: 35 color plates, 50 distribution maps, and 135 drawings of postures and behaviors.
In the 1996 edition (volume 2) of Lemur News, Alison Jolly
praised the first edition for its "contribution to knowledge in general" and "its effect on its intended audience." Like Gould, Jolly praised the work as a field guide, as well as Nash's high-quality illustrations. She noted the attraction of Nash's subfossil lemur reconstruction, claiming that it was "rapidly becoming one of the most pirated single book illustration on the primate lecture-slide circuit." Jolly went on to praise the thoroughness of the natural history information provided for each species, including recently described species, noting that the information covered existing knowledge better than any other published literature, even when only a single paragraph was provided for poorly known species. The book was recommended not only for lemur specialists, but also for tourists, hoping it would spark an interest in ecotourism in impoverished Madagascar. The checklist of species, as well as the information on where to most easily spot them, earned a special mention from Jolly, who could only boast seeing 30 of the 50 known species at that time. Finally, the "most significant and most appreciative" audience Jolly mentioned was the Malagasy researchers, to whom Mittermeier reportedly gave 50 copies of the book during a workshop in 1995.
In a 1997 review from Conservation Biology by Joelisoa Ratsirarson, the book was referred to as a "remarkable achievement" for its up-to-date information, and for being the first comprehensive lemur field guide. Emphasizing many of the same highlights as Gould and Jolly, he went on to note the inclusion of captive management information, unpublished details, and the use of common names in English, French, German, and Malagasy. His critique focused on the organization of the illustrations in relation to the text, the lack of an index, and a desire for more information about the roles lemurs play in their ecosystem
. Though he praised it for being useful to tourists, researchers, students, resource managers, and conservationists, he expressed concern over its lack of availability in the bookstores of Madagascar.
The completely revised second edition of Lemurs of Madagascar was reviewed in detail in the American Journal of Primatology by Stacey Tecot. Each chapter, section, and appendix was thoroughly summarized, and as with the reviews of previous editions, the chapter on subfossil lemurs was noted as one of the more "fascinating" parts of the book, particularly due to its colorful and informative illustrations. Although the book received only praise, Tecot did suggest two additions for the next edition: the need for information about the processes of island biogeography
and expansion on captive conservation programs aside from the Duke Lemur Center
, particularly at the Lemur Conservation Foundation
and St. Catherines Island
. A subject index was also recommended, along with better referencing of the figures and illustrations. Otherwise, the book was praised as being better than other field guides due to its inclusion of seemingly obscure yet important details, such as how to get to lemur watching sites, travel time, where to stay, mentions of lesser-known sites, listings of species to be seen, best times to observe, and even, among other things, the number of habituated lemur groups in each area. Tecot noted that the lemur checklist promoted competitive lemur watching, similar to birdwatching
, and that the color-coded sections assisted in "on-the-fly species identification." Although very satisfied with the information provided for each species, Tecot commended the promise made in this edition to more extensively cover the published literature in the upcoming third edition. Like its predecessor, the second edition was praised as an excellent tool for ecotourists and researchers. It was also noted for its attempt to promote ecotourism as a conservation strategy.
This newer edition was also mentioned briefly in the 2006 edition (volume 11) of Lemur News. The publication announcement highlighted the extensive coverage of scientific information throughout a range of chapters and appendices. The edition is said to contain over 200 illustrations, including drawings, photos, and maps.
The 2010 third edition was reviewed in Lemur News by Alex Dunkel. He praised the increased level of detail in the new edition, which adds additional information on geology, the history of lemur research, and numerous aspects of lemur biology. Efforts to conserve lemurs have faced steep challenges, Dunkel wrote, due to political and economic instability in Madagascar, and these challenges make the new edition especially important. However, he worried that the increased size of the book made it less portable than its predecessors.
(32 species
and 25 subspecies
), the second edition recognized 71 lemur taxa (68 species and 5 subspecies) just 12 years later. The second edition followed the recommendations of Colin Groves
in the third edition of Mammal Species of the World
from 2005 by recognizing newly identified nocturnal species and raising many former subspecies to species status. For comparison, Tattersall's book Primates of Madagascar from 1982 listed only 20 species and 29 subspecies. Following the publication of the second edition, Nick Garbutt recognized 87 species and 5 subspecies in his book Mammals of Madagascar.
Not all lemur researchers agree with the species promotions supported by these books. Researchers such as Tattersall and Anne D. Yoder, director of the Duke Lemur Center
, have raised concerns about taxonomic inflation. In particular, Tattersall has noted a steep decline in polytypic
lemur species, or species with defined subspecies, starting with the first edition of Lemurs of Madagascar and becoming more pronounced in the second edition. He noted that more than half of the new species added in the second edition were promoted subspecies and questioned whether Madagascar could produce so many monotypic species.
Prior to the release of the third edition of Lemurs of Madagascar, many of the major contributors, as well as Colin Groves, teamed up in 2008 to compile an updated lemur species list, published under the title "Lemur diversity in Madagascar" in the International Journal of Primatology. In it, 99 lemur taxa were recognized (97 species and 3 subspecies). The third edition went on to recognize 101 lemur taxa (97 species and 6 subspecies) and suggested that future research could reveal as many as 110 to 125 taxa.
Reference work
A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled in a book for ease of reference. That is, the information is intended to be quickly found when needed. Reference works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than read beginning to end...
and field guide
Field guide
A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...
for the lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, giving descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier
Russell Mittermeier
Russell Alan Mittermeier is a primatologist, herpetologist and biological anthropologist. He has written several books for both popular and scientist audiences, and has authored some 300 scientific papers.-Biography:...
, president of Conservation International
Conservation International
Conservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
, and the cover art and illustrations were drawn by Stephen D. Nash. The book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and also helps travelers identify species they may encounter. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists.
The first edition was reviewed favorably in the International Journal of Primatology
International Journal of Primatology
The International Journal of Primatology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes original research papers on the study of primates...
, Conservation Biology
Conservation Biology (journal)
Conservation Biology is a peer-reviewed academic journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, published by Wiley-Blackwell.-Scope:Conservation Biology publishes articles covering the science and practice of conserving Earth's biological diversity...
, and Lemur News. Reviewers, including Alison Jolly
Alison Jolly
Alison Jolly is a primatologist, known for her studies of lemur biology. She has written 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...
, praised the book for its meticulous coverage of each species, numerous high-quality illustrations, and engaging discussion of lemur topics, including conservation, evolution, and the recently extinct subfossil lemur
Subfossil lemur
Subfossil lemurs are lemurs from Madagascar that are represented by recent remains dating from nearly 26,000 years ago to approximately 560 years ago. They include both living and extinct species, although the term more frequently refers to the extinct giant lemurs...
s. Each agreed that the book was an excellent resource for a wide audience, including ecotourists
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
and lemur researchers. A lengthy review of the second edition was published in the American Journal of Primatology
American Journal of Primatology
The American Journal of Primatology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal and the official journal of the American Society of Primatologists. It was established in 1981. The journal currently publishes 12 issues per year plus a supplementary issue detailing the program of the society's annual...
, where it received similar favorable comments, plus praise for its updates and enhancements. The third edition was reviewed favorably in Lemur News; the reviewer praised the expanded content of the book, but was concerned that the edition was not as portable as its predecessors.
The first edition identified 50 lemur species and subspecies, compared to 71 in the second edition and 101 in the third. The taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
promoted by these books has been questioned by researchers, such as Ian Tattersall
Ian Tattersall
Ian Tattersall is a paleoanthropologist and a curator at the American Museum of Natural History. Tattersall received his PhD from Yale University in 1971. In addition to human evolution, he has worked extensively with lemurs. He is working with The Templeton Foundation.-Selected publications:* The...
, who view these growing numbers of lemur species as insufficiently justified inflation of species numbers (taxonomic inflation
Taxonomic inflation
Taxonomic inflation is a pejorative term for what is perceived to be an excessive increase in the number of recognised taxa in a given context, due not to the discovery of new taxa but rather to putatively arbitrary changes to how taxa are delineated....
).
Overview
Lemurs of Madagascar is published by Conservation International (CI), a non-profit conservation organization headquartered near Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and is intended as a field guide that identifies all of the known lemur species from Madagascar. The first edition of Lemurs of Madagascar was published in 1994 and contained 356 pages. The 520-page second edition was published in 2006 and is now officially out of print, having been followed by the 767-page third edition in the fall of 2010.
For all three editions, Stephen D. Nash, winner of the 2004 American Society of Primatologists
American Society of Primatologists
The American Society of Primatologists is both an educational and scientific society which aims to promote both the discovery and exchange of information on non-human primates. The society is open to anybody who actively, or is more passively interested in scientific primatology, or anyone who is...
President's Award, has been the illustrator and front cover artist. The main author for all three editions is Russell A. Mittermeier, president of CI and a well-published primatologist
Primatology
Primatology is the scientific study of primates. It is a diverse discipline and researchers can be found in academic departments of anatomy, anthropology, biology, medicine, psychology, veterinary sciences and zoology, as well as in animal sanctuaries, biomedical research facilities, museums and zoos...
, herpetologist
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
and biological anthropologist
Physical anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
. In the first edition, four other authors were also listed: Ian Tattersall, a curator in the Division of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
; William R. Konstant, the Director of Conservation and Science at the Houston Zoo
Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is a zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. Housing over 6,000 animals belonging to over 900 species, the zoo receives 1.6 million visitors each year and is the seventh most visited zoo in the nation...
; David M. Meyers, a researcher and conservationist who has worked with CI, the World Wildlife Fund, and other conservation and development organizations; and Roderic B. Mast, marine biologist
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
, primatologist, and the founding Director of CI's Madagascar Program.
The second edition was authored by Mittermeier, Konstant, Tattersall, and Meyers, as well as seven new authors: Frank Hawkins, the Technical Director for CI in Madagascar; Edward E. Louis, the conservation geneticist for Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
Henry Doorly Zoo
The Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street.It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.Omaha's Henry Doorly...
's Center for Conservation and Research; Olivier Langrand, CI's Senior Vice President for Africa and Madagascar; Jonah H. Ratsimbazafy, the Scientific Coordinator for 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...
- Madagascar Program; Rodin Rasoloarison, a field researcher and research coordinator at the German Primate Center
German Primate Center
The German Primate Centre is a non-profit independent research and service institute. It is a member of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community and funded by the federal government and by the states of Germany...
; Jörg U. Ganzhorn, professor at in the Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation at the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
and Chairman for the Madagascar section of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission
IUCN Species Survival Commission
The IUCN Species Survival Commission is a special commission operated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commission's "major role is to provide information to IUCN on biodiversity conservation, the inherent value of species, their role in ecosystem health and functioning,...
(IUCN/SSC) Primate Specialist Group since 1998; and Serge Rajaobelina, the President of Fanamby, a Malagasy non-governmental environmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
.
The list of authors changed again with the third edition. Returning authors included Mittermeier, Louis, Langrand, Hawkins, Rajaobelina, Ratsimbazafy, and Rasoloarison. New authors included Matthew Richardson, writer and member of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group; Christoph Schwitzer, the Head of Research at the Bristol Zoo Gardens; Anthony Rylands, a Senior Research Scientist at Conservation International and Deputy Chair of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group; Christian Roos, a geneticist at the German Primate Center; Peter M. Kappeler, a Professor of Sociobiology and Anthropology at the University of Göttingen in Germany; and James MacKinnon, the Senior Technical Director of Conservation International in Madagascar.
The first edition followed a 1982 volume by Tattersall, entitled Primates of Madagascar. As a field guide, the Lemurs of Madagascar is "more portable and affordable," while offering updated information to assist lemur researchers and tourists in the identification of lemur species and subspecies, according to a 1996 review published in Lemur News. All three editions cover the natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
for each known species. They also discuss conservation strategies, lemur origins, extinct lemurs
Subfossil lemur
Subfossil lemurs are lemurs from Madagascar that are represented by recent remains dating from nearly 26,000 years ago to approximately 560 years ago. They include both living and extinct species, although the term more frequently refers to the extinct giant lemurs...
, and the history of discoveries made by early European naturalists. The books provide suggestions on where to see each species, as well as checklists to help people keep track of their sightings. The purpose of the book is defined in the "Introduction" as follows:
Four pocket field guides have also been published by CI, intended strictly to help people identify lemurs in the field by providing over 100 species illustrations. All illustrations, including the detailed cover art, were drawn by Nash. Checklists for their respective lemur species are included with these guides, along with thumbnail
Thumbnail
Thumbnails are reduced-size versions of pictures, used to help in recognizing and organizing them, serving the same role for images as a normal text index does for words...
range maps for each species. The four pocket guides include two editions of Lemurs of Madagascar Pocket Identification Guide (out of print), Nocturnal Lemurs, and Diurnal and Cathemeral Lemurs. The Nocturnal Lemurs booklet contains 65 species from eight genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. Diurnal and Cathemeral Lemurs hosts 34 species and subspecies from seven genera, along with illustrations to show male and female fur color differences in the genus Eulemur and color morphs
Polymorphism (biology)
Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species — in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph...
for the indri
Indri
The indri , also called the babakoto, is one of the largest living lemurs. It is a diurnal tree-dweller related to the sifakas and, like all lemuroids, it is native to Madagascar.- Etymology :...
and ruffed lemur
Ruffed lemur
The ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar...
species. A fifth and sixth pocket field guides are planned following the publication of the third edition of the field guide.
Content
All three editions are split into multiple chapters, sections, and appendices. In the second and third editions, the inside of the front and back covers include a quick visual reference, with color-coded illustrations for each lemur type and colored tabs to help locate their corresponding sections. A section entitled "How to Use this Field Guide" is included between the "Introduction" and the first chapter. In this section, the layout of the book is discussed in detail, including the quick visual reference, chapters, appendices, references, and lemur-watching checklist. The chapter "The Living Lemurs" is discussed in great detail, including each section heading used for all the lemur species.The "Introduction" in the first two editions was written by Peter A. Seligmann, Chairman of the Board and CEO of CI, and Mittermeier. In the third edition, the "Introduction" was written only by Mittermeier. In it, they emphasize the richness of Madagascar's primate diversity, summarize the conservation efforts and opportunities for preserving that diversity, and highlight recent discoveries, while also acknowledging the need for additional research. The chapter entitled "Origins of Lemurs" ("Origin of the Lemurs" in the third edition) briefly summarizes the theories on how lemurs came to Madagascar and the difficulty in resolving the mystery. "Discovery and Study of the Living Lemurs" reviews the history of exploration, field research, and taxonomic nomenclature
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
of lemurs, starting from the 1625 description of a Ring-tailed Lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
to contemporary research by Western and Malagasy scientists. "The Extinct Lemurs" discusses the recently extinct subfossil lemurs, including the monkey lemur
Monkey lemur
The Monkey lemurs or Baboon lemurs are an extinct type of lemurs that includes one family, Archaeolemuridae, two genera and three species. Despite their common names, members of Archaeolemuridae were not as closely related to monkeys as they were to other lemurs....
s, sloth lemurs, and koala lemurs. "Conservation of Lemurs" details the threats lemurs face, such as habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and hunting for bushmeat
Bushmeat
Bushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
, and conservation efforts aimed at their protection, from the in-situ
In-situ conservation
In-situ conservation is on-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of tree species...
and ex-situ
Ex-situ conservation
Ex-situ conservation means literally, "off-site conservation". It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal outside of its natural habitat; for example, by removing part of the population from a threatened habitat and placing it in a new location, which may be a wild...
programs of the Madagascar Fauna Group
Madagascar Fauna Group
The Madagascar Fauna Group or MFG is an international consortium of zoos and other conservation agencies which pool together resources to help conserve animal species in Madagascar, through captive breeding programs, field research programs, training programs for rangers and wardens, and...
to the promise by Madagascar's former president Marc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana is a Malagasy politician who was the President of Madagascar from 2002 to 2009. A member of the Merina ethnic group, Ravalomanana served as Mayor of Antananarivo before becoming President in 2002...
to triple the country's protected areas over five years, known as the Durban Vision. In the third edition, a new chapter was added, entitled "Madagascar's Ancient Geological History", written by Maarten de Wit from the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
. In it, three billion years of geological and biological history are explored in detail.
The majority of the book, including the chapter "The Living Lemurs" and separate sections on each taxonomic group of lemur, providing detailed accounts of all lemur species known up until the time of publication, from the tiny mouse lemur
Mouse lemur
The mouse lemurs are nocturnal lemurs of the genus Microcebus. Like all lemurs, mouse lemurs are native to Madagascar.Mouse lemurs have a combined head, body and tail length of less than , making them the smallest primates ; however, their weight fluctuates in response to daylight duration.Mouse...
s to the large indri
Indri
The indri , also called the babakoto, is one of the largest living lemurs. It is a diurnal tree-dweller related to the sifakas and, like all lemuroids, it is native to Madagascar.- Etymology :...
and diademed sifaka
Diademed Sifaka
The diademed sifaka , or diademed simpona, is an endangered species of sifaka, one of the lemurs endemic to certain rainforests in eastern Madagascar. This species is one of the world's largest living lemurs, with a total adult length of approximately 105 centimetres , half of which is tail...
. In the first and second editions, the chapter "The Living Lemurs" is broken first into sections on families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, and then into species clumped together by genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. In the third edition, each family is assigned its own chapter number, separate from "The Living Lemurs" chapter, yet the order and layout are the same. In the second and third editions, all pages within each family section are assigned a colored tab to match those in the quick visual reference inside the covers. Each species subsection has a distribution map, an illustration or photo (if available), a list of common names in multiple languages (including Malagasy
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
), and species information broken into five sections: "Identification", "Geographic Range", "Natural History", "Conservation Status", and "Where to See It".
The "Identification" section for each species provides descriptive information to help identify and distinguish species, including a detailed physical description, discussions of variation in size and coloration (morphometrics
Morphometrics
Morphometrics refers to the quantitative analysis of form, a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are commonly performed on organisms, and are useful in analyzing their fossil record, the impact of mutations on shape, developmental changes in form, covariances between...
), and descriptions of distinguishing vocalizations. "Geographic Range" offers textual information to accompany the provided distribution map, although the authors note that ranges change due to habitat destruction and that species may be found in new localities outside of their known range. "Natural History" summarizes what is known about the behavior and ecology of each species, such as the unusual feeding strategies of the aye-aye
Aye-aye
The aye-aye is a lemur, a strepsirrhine primate native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth and a special thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker...
or the nest-building behavior of the ruffed lemur
Ruffed lemur
The ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar...
s. Estimated populations densities and distributions, life histories
Biological life cycle
A life cycle is a period involving all different generations of a species succeeding each other through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction...
, diet, social structure, and other details are provided when known. For many species, little information is given due to a lack of research, while others have been studied extensively allowing for more elaborate detail. "Conservation Status" lists the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
assessment and protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s in which a species can be found, while also discussing specific threats to each species, the affects of local taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
s (known locally as fady), the future outlook for species survival, and its coverage within protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s. Lastly, "Where to See It" aims to promote ecotourism by helping travelers find the best lemur watching sites that can be reached quickly and with the least effort. Suggested modes of transportation are sometimes mentioned as well.
The appendices differ between editions. The first edition has two appendices. The first is entitled "Lemurs Present in Protected Areas" and discusses each region and domain of Madagascar while also providing basic information and lemur species content for each protected area. The second appendix, "Alternative Names for Towns and Sites in Madagascar" spells out a few alternative French and Malagasy names for some of the larger town and cities in Madagascar. In the second and third editions, Appendix A, "Maps of Madagascar", contains color maps that help locate towns, protected areas, topography, rivers, forest cover, regions, and lemur watching sites. Appendix B, entitled "Biogeographic Regions and Floristic Domains of Madagascar" discusses the regions and domains of Madagascar. Appendix C, "Key Sites for Watching Lemurs", covers characteristics and highlights of individual national parks, reserves, and regions for lemur watching. The third edition added Appendix D, entitled "Primate-watching and Primate Life-listing". In it, primate-watching and primate life-listing (the act of recording recording personal first sightings of a species) are promoted while their benefits to conservation are discussed.
All three editions provide a "References" section, with the second edition listing approximately 500 scientific papers, books, reports, and dissertations used in the creation of the book. The number of references jumped to over 1,100 in the third edition. Following the "References", the first edition provides a section with the color plates
Color printing
Color printing or Colour printing is the reproduction of an image or text in color...
. In contrast, the second and third editions provides color illustrations throughout the book.
Reviews
In a 1996 review of the first edition in the International Journal of Primatology, Lisa Gould spoke favorably of the book, citing passages about lemur descriptions from the 17th and 18th centuries that she found entertaining and informative. She was particularly fascinated with Chapter four, "The Extinct Lemurs", and the reconstructions by Nash that accompanied the descriptions of morphology, behavior, and diet. She praised Nash's artwork as being one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book. The book was hailed as an excellent source for identifying lemur species for both tourists and researchers. The book was also briefly reviewed in College & Research Libraries NewsCollege & Research Libraries News
College & Research Libraries News is a journal that provides articles on the latest trends and practices affecting academic and research libraries and serves as the official newsmagazine and publication of record of Association of College and Research Libraries...
by George Eberhart in April 1996. The review noted Conservation International's promotion of ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
while also providing a count of the book's illustrations: 35 color plates, 50 distribution maps, and 135 drawings of postures and behaviors.
In the 1996 edition (volume 2) of Lemur News, Alison Jolly
Alison Jolly
Alison Jolly is a primatologist, known for her studies of lemur biology. She has written 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...
praised the first edition for its "contribution to knowledge in general" and "its effect on its intended audience." Like Gould, Jolly praised the work as a field guide, as well as Nash's high-quality illustrations. She noted the attraction of Nash's subfossil lemur reconstruction, claiming that it was "rapidly becoming one of the most pirated single book illustration on the primate lecture-slide circuit." Jolly went on to praise the thoroughness of the natural history information provided for each species, including recently described species, noting that the information covered existing knowledge better than any other published literature, even when only a single paragraph was provided for poorly known species. The book was recommended not only for lemur specialists, but also for tourists, hoping it would spark an interest in ecotourism in impoverished Madagascar. The checklist of species, as well as the information on where to most easily spot them, earned a special mention from Jolly, who could only boast seeing 30 of the 50 known species at that time. Finally, the "most significant and most appreciative" audience Jolly mentioned was the Malagasy researchers, to whom Mittermeier reportedly gave 50 copies of the book during a workshop in 1995.
In a 1997 review from Conservation Biology by Joelisoa Ratsirarson, the book was referred to as a "remarkable achievement" for its up-to-date information, and for being the first comprehensive lemur field guide. Emphasizing many of the same highlights as Gould and Jolly, he went on to note the inclusion of captive management information, unpublished details, and the use of common names in English, French, German, and Malagasy. His critique focused on the organization of the illustrations in relation to the text, the lack of an index, and a desire for more information about the roles lemurs play in their ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. Though he praised it for being useful to tourists, researchers, students, resource managers, and conservationists, he expressed concern over its lack of availability in the bookstores of Madagascar.
The completely revised second edition of Lemurs of Madagascar was reviewed in detail in the American Journal of Primatology by Stacey Tecot. Each chapter, section, and appendix was thoroughly summarized, and as with the reviews of previous editions, the chapter on subfossil lemurs was noted as one of the more "fascinating" parts of the book, particularly due to its colorful and informative illustrations. Although the book received only praise, Tecot did suggest two additions for the next edition: the need for information about the processes of island biogeography
Island biogeography
Island biogeography is a field within biogeography that attempts to establish and explain the factors that affect the species richness of natural communities. The theory was developed to explain species richness of actual islands...
and expansion on captive conservation programs aside from the Duke Lemur Center
Duke Lemur Center
The Duke Lemur Center is an sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates, located at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is the largest sanctuary for prosimian primates in the world....
, particularly at the Lemur Conservation Foundation
Lemur Conservation Foundation
The Lemur Conservation Foundation is a small American non-profit organization that works closely with the Duke Lemur Center, LCF Scientific Advisory Council , the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group , and the Species Survival Plan coordinators...
and St. Catherines Island
St. Catherines Island
St. Catherines Island, also known as Santa Catalina, is one of the Sea Islands or Golden Isles on the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia, 50 miles south of Savannah in Liberty County. The island is ten miles long and from one to three miles wide, located between St. Catherine's Sound and Sapelo...
. A subject index was also recommended, along with better referencing of the figures and illustrations. Otherwise, the book was praised as being better than other field guides due to its inclusion of seemingly obscure yet important details, such as how to get to lemur watching sites, travel time, where to stay, mentions of lesser-known sites, listings of species to be seen, best times to observe, and even, among other things, the number of habituated lemur groups in each area. Tecot noted that the lemur checklist promoted competitive lemur watching, similar to birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, and that the color-coded sections assisted in "on-the-fly species identification." Although very satisfied with the information provided for each species, Tecot commended the promise made in this edition to more extensively cover the published literature in the upcoming third edition. Like its predecessor, the second edition was praised as an excellent tool for ecotourists and researchers. It was also noted for its attempt to promote ecotourism as a conservation strategy.
This newer edition was also mentioned briefly in the 2006 edition (volume 11) of Lemur News. The publication announcement highlighted the extensive coverage of scientific information throughout a range of chapters and appendices. The edition is said to contain over 200 illustrations, including drawings, photos, and maps.
The 2010 third edition was reviewed in Lemur News by Alex Dunkel. He praised the increased level of detail in the new edition, which adds additional information on geology, the history of lemur research, and numerous aspects of lemur biology. Efforts to conserve lemurs have faced steep challenges, Dunkel wrote, due to political and economic instability in Madagascar, and these challenges make the new edition especially important. However, he worried that the increased size of the book made it less portable than its predecessors.
Impact on lemur taxonomy
While the first edition recognized 50 lemur taxaTaxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
(32 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and 25 subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
), the second edition recognized 71 lemur taxa (68 species and 5 subspecies) just 12 years later. The second edition followed the recommendations of Colin Groves
Colin Groves
Colin Peter Groves is Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.Born in England on 24 June 1942, Colin Groves completed a Bachelor of Science at University College London in 1963, and a Doctor of Philosophy at the Royal Free Hospital School of...
in the third edition of Mammal Species of the World
Mammal Species of the World
Mammal Species of the World, now in its 3rd edition, is a standard reference work in zoology giving descriptions and bibliographic data for the known species of mammals.An updated Third Edition of Mammal Species of the World was published late in 2005:...
from 2005 by recognizing newly identified nocturnal species and raising many former subspecies to species status. For comparison, Tattersall's book Primates of Madagascar from 1982 listed only 20 species and 29 subspecies. Following the publication of the second edition, Nick Garbutt recognized 87 species and 5 subspecies in his book Mammals of Madagascar.
Not all lemur researchers agree with the species promotions supported by these books. Researchers such as Tattersall and Anne D. Yoder, director of the Duke Lemur Center
Duke Lemur Center
The Duke Lemur Center is an sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates, located at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is the largest sanctuary for prosimian primates in the world....
, have raised concerns about taxonomic inflation. In particular, Tattersall has noted a steep decline in polytypic
Polytypic
In zoology, polytypic refers to a taxonomic unit with more than one subgroup at the next lower level.-See also:*Linnaean taxonomy*monotypic*monotypic habitat...
lemur species, or species with defined subspecies, starting with the first edition of Lemurs of Madagascar and becoming more pronounced in the second edition. He noted that more than half of the new species added in the second edition were promoted subspecies and questioned whether Madagascar could produce so many monotypic species.
Prior to the release of the third edition of Lemurs of Madagascar, many of the major contributors, as well as Colin Groves, teamed up in 2008 to compile an updated lemur species list, published under the title "Lemur diversity in Madagascar" in the International Journal of Primatology. In it, 99 lemur taxa were recognized (97 species and 3 subspecies). The third edition went on to recognize 101 lemur taxa (97 species and 6 subspecies) and suggested that future research could reveal as many as 110 to 125 taxa.