Titre |
Rapid Survey and Assessment of the Northern Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur septentrionalis, in Northern Madagascar. |
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Descripteur géographique |
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Résumé |
The northern sportive lemur, Lepilemur septentrionalis, faces imminent danger of extinction, more so than any other lemur in Madagascar. The population estimates for this sportive lemur remain unknown because of habitat loss and ongoing human encroachment, but they are unlikely to number more than a few hundred individuals. We present the results of extensive surveys conducted in 2010, 2011 and 2012 of known habitat, the Sahafary and Analalava classified forests, and confirm the species designation of the sportive lemur observed in Montagne des Français in 2007. Six L. septentrionalis individuals were examined in Sahafary in 2011, along with eight individuals during the 2010 and 2011 expeditions to Montagne des Français. A July 2012 survey in extended forest fragments of Montagne des Français identified another 10 individuals. Surveys of the Analalava forest in 2011 detected no northern sportive lemurs, despite documenting their presence in 2005. One individual was recorded in the July 2012 survey. Although the morphological data of the sportive lemurs at Montagne des Français was comparable to that of Sahafary, the sportive lemur at Montagne des Français was subsequently verified as L. septentrionalis with mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequence data analyses. The confirmation of the northern sportive lemur at Montagne des Français is significant since it establishes additional habitat for this species. |