Giant mouse lemur
Encyclopedia
The giant mouse lemurs are small lemur
species in the genus Mirza. They are native to the western deciduous
forests of Madagascar
, usually located near the coast or other sources of water. Their fur is an olive-brown colour dorsally, and yellowish-grey ventrally.
Originally the genus was described as a single species, Coquerel's Giant Mouse Lemur Mirza coquereli (named after the French
entomologist Charles Coquerel
), when this species was separated from the genus Microcebus in 1985. In 2005 a second species, Northern Giant Mouse Lemur
M. zaza, was described. In 2010, it was announced that another distinct taxon
with areas of reddish fur on back and tail had been discovered in the Berevo-Ranobe
region.
Giant mouse lemurs weigh about 300 grams (10.6 oz). They are nocturnal, and they are active throughout the year; unlike other mouse-lemurs they do not hibernate
, and instead they feed on homopteran larvae to sustain themselves. They are an arboreal species, and feed on fruit, flowers, and small animals like insects and spiders. They have also been known to prey on the Pygmy Mouse Lemur (Microcebus myoxinus) in captivity. They build multiple nests both in the wild and in captivity; males sleep alone while females often sleep in pairs. They travel quadruped
ally, and have limited leaping capabilities.
These lemurs are heavily preyed upon by owl
s, as well as the Madagascar Buzzard
(Buteo brachypterus). They feed at night to avoid predation, and they communicate with each other by both acoustic
and olfactory signals, as well as ultrasound
.
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...
species in the genus Mirza. They are native to the western deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forests of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, usually located near the coast or other sources of water. Their fur is an olive-brown colour dorsally, and yellowish-grey ventrally.
Originally the genus was described as a single species, Coquerel's Giant Mouse Lemur Mirza coquereli (named after the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
entomologist Charles Coquerel
Charles Coquerel
Charles Coquerel was a French navy surgeon, algologist, and entomologist.Coquerel collected insects in Madagascar and neighbouring islands. A number of these were described after his death by Léon Fairmaire in his Notes sur les Coléopteres recueillis par Charles Coquerel a Madagascar et sur les...
), when this species was separated from the genus Microcebus in 1985. In 2005 a second species, Northern Giant Mouse Lemur
Northern Giant Mouse Lemur
The northern giant mouse lemur , or northern dwarf lemur, was discovered to be a species in 2005 by Kappeler et al. from the German primates centre and the University of Göttingen. Before, both populations of giant mouse lemurs were believed to belong to one species. The northern giant mouse lemurs...
M. zaza, was described. In 2010, it was announced that another distinct taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
with areas of reddish fur on back and tail had been discovered in the Berevo-Ranobe
Berevo-Ranobe
Berevo-Ranobe or Berevo-sur-Ranobe is a town and commune in western Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Maintirano, which is a part of Melaky Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 8,000 in 2001 commune census....
region.
Giant mouse lemurs weigh about 300 grams (10.6 oz). They are nocturnal, and they are active throughout the year; unlike other mouse-lemurs they do not hibernate
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
, and instead they feed on homopteran larvae to sustain themselves. They are an arboreal species, and feed on fruit, flowers, and small animals like insects and spiders. They have also been known to prey on the Pygmy Mouse Lemur (Microcebus myoxinus) in captivity. They build multiple nests both in the wild and in captivity; males sleep alone while females often sleep in pairs. They travel quadruped
Quadruped
Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
ally, and have limited leaping capabilities.
These lemurs are heavily preyed upon by owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, as well as the Madagascar Buzzard
Madagascar Buzzard
The Madagascar Buzzard is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
(Buteo brachypterus). They feed at night to avoid predation, and they communicate with each other by both acoustic
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
and olfactory signals, as well as ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
.