Dwarf Lemur

Dwarf Lemur, common name for four species of primitive, tree-living primates found only on the island of Madagascar. These small lemurs are unusual among primates in that they enter a dormant state called hibernation to survive the dry winter months in May through September, when food is scarce. Dwarf lemurs are closely related to mouse lemurs.

Two of the four species, the greater dwarf lemur and the hairy-eared dwarf lemur, live in tropical rain forests along the east coast of Madagascar. The other two species, the fat-tailed dwarf lemur and the fork-marked dwarf lemur, inhabit drier forests in the north and west of the island. All four species feed at night; during the day, they sleep in nests that are made of twigs and leaves and located in treetops or hollow tree trunks.

Dwarf lemurs range in length from 13 to 26 cm (5 to 10 in), not including the long, skinny tail, which can more than double the overall length. Like other animals that are nocturnal, or active at night, they have large eyes that are highly sensitive to light. The fur is gray or reddish-brown with markings that vary by species. The fork-marked dwarf lemur, for example, has a dark stripe along the back that splits on the top of the head to join dark rings around both eyes. Like other lemurs, dwarf lemurs have four fused front teeth in the lower jaw that are tilted forward in a dental comb used to groom the soft, woolly fur.

Dwarf lemurs eat fruit, flowers, nectar, tree gums, insects, insect secretions, and pollen. They build up fat at the base of the tail to help them through the dry season when food is scarce. This build up is especially noticeable in the fat-tailed dwarf lemur.

The mating season occurs in October, and twins or triplets are born about 60 days after mating. In some species newborns are able to cling to the mother’s abdomen, while in other species the mother must carry them in her mouth. Later, young dwarf lemurs ride on their mother’s back, eventually becoming self-sufficient after about six months. The father is not involved in raising the young.

The natural rain forest habitat of the dwarf lemur is quickly disappearing to supply farmland for the impoverished people of Madagascar. The fork-marked lemur is currently on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species; the hairy-eared dwarf lemur is listed as critically endangered (see Endangered Species).

Scientific classification: Dwarf lemurs are members of the family Cheirogaleidae in the order Primates. The greater dwarf lemur is classified as Cheirogaleus major, the hairy-eared dwarf lemur as Allocebus trichotis, the fat-tailed dwarf lemur as Cheirogaleus medius, and the fork-marked dwarf lemur as Phaner furcifer.