Eastern lesser bamboo lemur

Eastern bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur griseus )

The Eastern or Eastern bamboo lemur lemur ( Hapalemur griseus ) is a primate of the group of lemurs.

Features

Eastern bamboo lemurs reach a body length 24-30 centimeters, the tail is 32 to 40 centimeters considerably longer than the body. The weight is from 0.75 to 1.05 kg. Their fur is colored on the top gray or olive-gray, the head, shoulders and sometimes on the back, the color changes to reddish brown. This reddish -brown coloration is more pronounced in animals from the south of its range. The belly is whitish- light gray, dark gray tail. The face is gray, the ears are small and rounded and the muzzle is short, as with all bamboo lemurs. Among other scent glands they also have two specialized Armdrüsen, similar to the ring-tailed lemur.

Distribution and habitat

Eastern bamboo lemurs are like all lemurs available only in Madagascar, their range extends approximately along the east coast of the island between the Alaotra lake and the river Mananara. Due to the uncertainties in the separation of new species and the hybridization areas with other bamboo lemurs, the exact dimensions of the distribution area are controversial. Habitat of these animals are lined with bamboo rainforests.

Lifestyle and diet

These primates are predominantly diurnal or crepuscular, sometimes their cries are heard but also at night. They are tree dwellers who spend more on vertical trunks and branches, their locomotion is a vertical climbing and jumping. They live in groups of two to seven (sometimes up to eleven) animals. Smaller groups are made up of one male and one female, larger groups can consist of several females of reproductive capacity. There are territorial animals, their home ranges include about 15 to 20 acres, the grounds are marked with glandular secretions and by calls.

Among the natural enemies include the fossa, large birds of prey such as the Madagascar Harrier- Hawk and the Madagascar and snakes like the Madagascar Tree Boa.

The food of the Eastern bamboo lemurs covers about 80 % of bamboo, which they prefer young leaves, shoots and the marrow. In addition, they also eat other leaves, fruits, buds, and occasionally mushrooms.

Reproduction

After a 140 - day gestation, the female gives birth to a single young is born in October or November. First, the mother takes the boy in the mouth, later she leaves them on her back riding or " parked " it in a protected area during their search for food. At six weeks old cubs take first bamboo to be four months old they are weaned. The well-known maximum age of an animal in captivity was 17 years.

Endangering

One of the main dangers of the Eastern bamboo lemurs count on one hand the hunting, on the other hand, the loss of its habitat through deforestation and slash and burn the bamboo thickets. The IUCN estimates that the overall population ( three generations) has fallen by more than 30% in the last 27 years and lists the species as "endangered" ( vulnerable ).

System

The Eastern bamboo lemur is one of six species of bamboo lemurs. Mittershein Meier et al (2008) are listed. The Western and Southern bamboo lemur he was formerly grouped together as Grey bamboo lemur or lemur Grey, today these species are separated. Also the Alaotra bamboo lemur is now considered an independent Art 2008 Gilbert bamboo lemur was separated due to differences in karyotype, apart from the fact about this type still little known.