Diademed sifaka

Diademsifaka ( Propithecus diadema )

The Diademsifaka ( Propithecus diadema ) is a primate of the family of Indriartigen within the lemurs.

Features

Diademsifakas are among the most colorful species of lemurs. Their fur is long and silky, the staining of individual animals can vary considerably. Generally the head is white, at the top of the head is a black spot, which extends to the neck. The face is hairless and also black, the eyes are brown. The shoulders and upper back are black or dark gray, the back is some backward light gray to whitish, the tail is white. Also white or light gray are the chest and the abdomen. The arms and legs are colored orange to golden yellow, his hands and feet black. In the south of the circulation area the animals are sometimes quite dark, so the head to a white forehead spot is dark gray or black. Whether this is a separate subspecies, is not yet clear.

Diademsifakas reach a body length of 50 to 55 centimeters, the tail measures 44 to 50 centimeters. The weight of the animals is 5 to 8 kg, so they are the largest Sifakas and the second largest living lemurs after the Indri.

Distribution and habitat

Like all lemurs live in Madagascar Diademsifakas. Its distribution area is located on the east coast of the island between the river Mananara in the north and the rivers Mangoro and Onive in the south. Their habitat are rainforests, they come down to 1700 meters above sea level before.

Lifestyle and diet

These primates are diurnal and arboreal. They move vertically climbing and jumping away, but sometimes come on the ground. They live in groups of up to eight animals, these groups are made up of several males and females as well as the common offspring together. Groups inhabit areas from 25 to 60 acres, which are marked with glandular secretions. The length of the daily raids is around 500 to 1700 meters. The group members communicate with each other sounds, sounds are hardly used to display the territory. The groups are dominated by the females, often forms a family of related females near the core of the group.

The food of Diademsifakas consists of leaves, fruits, seeds and buds; on the ground they eat fallen fruit, mushrooms and sometimes earth.

Reproduction

After a 170 - to 180 - day gestation, the female gives birth in June usually a single young is born. This first clings to the mother's abdomen and riding on her back later. After six months, the young animals are finally weaned. On entering puberty, the males must leave their birth group, the females usually remain in it.

Endangering

Main threat to Diademsifakas is the destruction of their habitat by fire clearing and deforestation, area as they are also hunted. The IUCN estimates that in the last 30 years ( three generations), the population has declined by more than 50 % and lists the species as " critically endangered " ( endangered ).

System

The Diademsifaka together with the Silky, the Edwards 's sifaka and the Perrier 's sifaka the diadema - Artgengruppe within the genus Sifakas. All of these types were considered until recently as its subspecies, however, are now classified as independent.