Red-fronted Lemur
Encyclopedia
The red-fronted lemur also known as the red-fronted brown lemur or southern red-fronted brown lemur, is a species of lemur
from Madagascar
. Until 2001, it was considered a subspecies
of the common brown lemur
, E. fulvus. In 2001, E. fulvus was split into several separate species, including Eulemur rufus, in which this species was included. In 2008, E. rufus was split into two species, the red lemur
(E. rufus) and the red-fronted lemur (E. rufifrons). E. rufus covers the population on the west coast north of the Tsiribihina River and E. rufifrons covers the population on the west coast south of the Tsiribihina River and the population in eastern Madagascar. The species split was based on genetic and morphological evidence. Mitochondrial DNA
analysis indicates that E. rufifrons may be more closely related to the common brown lemur (E. fulvus), white-headed lemur
(E. albifrons) and Sanford's brown lemur
(E. sanfordi) than it is to E. rufus.
The red-fronted lemur lives on the western coast of Madagascar between the Tsiribihina River to the north and south of the Fiheranana River and in eastern Madagascar from the Mangoro River and Onive River to the Andringitra Massif
. It lives in dry lowland forests. It has a head and body length of 35 to 48 cm (13.8 to 18.9 in) and with a 45 to 55 cm (17.7 to 21.7 in) tail. Its weight ranges between 2.2 and 2.3 kg (4.9 and 5.1 lb). It has a gray coat and black face, muzzle and forehead, plus a black line from the muzzle to the forehead, with white eyebrow patches. Males have white or cream colored cheeks and beards, while females have rufous or cream cheeks and beards that are less bushy than males.
There is considerable geographic variation in the natural history of this species. Western populations tend to have smaller home range
s and higher population densities than eastern populations, although group size tends to be fairly consistent (generally 4-18 animals averaging of 8-9). None of the studied populations show dominance hierarchies and aggression tends to be low.
Diet is diverse, encompassing leaves
, seed
s, fruit
, nectar and flower
s, but more so in eastern populations. Western populations tend to rely more on leaves for their diet. Western populations are primarily diurnal
, but increase nocturnal activity during the dry season, while eastern populations show less such dichotomy
.
Reproduction is seasonal. In western populations one male usually monopolizes all the females in the group, while in eastern populations such monopolization is less typical.
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...
from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Until 2001, it was considered a 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...
of the common brown lemur
Common Brown Lemur
The common brown lemur , or brown lemur, is a species of lemur in the Lemuridae family. It is found in Madagascar and Mayotte.-Range:...
, E. fulvus. In 2001, E. fulvus was split into several separate species, including Eulemur rufus, in which this species was included. In 2008, E. rufus was split into two species, the red lemur
Red Lemur
The red lemur , also known as the rufous brown lemur or northern red-fronted lemur, is a species of lemur from Madagascar. Until 2001, the species E. rufus was considered a subspecies of the common brown lemur, E. fulvus, after which it was classified as its own species...
(E. rufus) and the red-fronted lemur (E. rufifrons). E. rufus covers the population on the west coast north of the Tsiribihina River and E. rufifrons covers the population on the west coast south of the Tsiribihina River and the population in eastern Madagascar. The species split was based on genetic and morphological evidence. Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
analysis indicates that E. rufifrons may be more closely related to the common brown lemur (E. fulvus), white-headed lemur
White-headed Lemur
The white-headed lemur , also known as the white-headed brown lemur, white-fronted brown lemur, or white-fronted lemur, is a species of primate in the Lemuridae family. It is only found in north-eastern Madagascar...
(E. albifrons) and Sanford's brown lemur
Sanford's Brown Lemur
Sanford's brown lemur , or Sanford's lemur, is a species of prosimian primate in the Lemuridae family. The Sanford's brown lemur was previously considered a subspecies of the common brown lemur but as of 2005 many of the brown lemurs have been elevated to a full species status...
(E. sanfordi) than it is to E. rufus.
Andringitra Massif
The Andringitra Massif is a granite massif located within Andringitra National Park in Madagascar. Pic Boby, the highest peak, is at 2658 meters high. Today, it is mainly occupied by herders and shepherds who are constantly moving in order to find the freshest grazing grounds for their livestock...
. It lives in dry lowland forests. It has a head and body length of 35 to 48 cm (13.8 to 18.9 in) and with a 45 to 55 cm (17.7 to 21.7 in) tail. Its weight ranges between 2.2 and 2.3 kg (4.9 and 5.1 lb). It has a gray coat and black face, muzzle and forehead, plus a black line from the muzzle to the forehead, with white eyebrow patches. Males have white or cream colored cheeks and beards, while females have rufous or cream cheeks and beards that are less bushy than males.
There is considerable geographic variation in the natural history of this species. Western populations tend to have smaller home range
Home range
Home range is the area where an animal lives and travels in. It is closely related to, but not identical with, the concept of "territory".The concept that can be traced back to a publication in 1943 by W. H. Burt, who constructed maps delineating the spatial extent or outside boundary of an...
s and higher population densities than eastern populations, although group size tends to be fairly consistent (generally 4-18 animals averaging of 8-9). None of the studied populations show dominance hierarchies and aggression tends to be low.
Diet is diverse, encompassing leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
, seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, nectar and flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s, but more so in eastern populations. Western populations tend to rely more on leaves for their diet. Western populations are primarily diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
, but increase nocturnal activity during the dry season, while eastern populations show less such dichotomy
Dichotomy
A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts, meaning it is a procedure in which a whole is divided into two parts...
.
Reproduction is seasonal. In western populations one male usually monopolizes all the females in the group, while in eastern populations such monopolization is less typical.