HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The brown mouse lemur (''Microcebus rufus'') is a small
primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...
, and like the other
mouse lemur The mouse lemurs are nocturnal lemurs of the genus ''Microcebus''. Like all lemurs, mouse lemurs are native to Madagascar. Mouse lemurs have a combined head, body and tail length of less than , making them the smallest primates (the smallest spe ...
s can only be found on the island of
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
. They are known also as the rufous mouse lemur, eastern rufous mouse lemur, red mouse lemur, or russet mouse lemur. Its dorsal side is brown or reddish-brown, while ventrally it is a whitish-grey. It was originally considered a
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the
gray mouse lemur The gray mouse lemur (''Microcebus murinus''), grey mouse lemur or lesser mouse lemur, is a small lemur, a type of strepsirrhine primate, found only on the island of Madagascar. Weighing , it is the largest of the mouse lemurs (genus ''Microceb ...
(''Microcebus murinus'') until 1977, when it was reclassified as a separate species. The mouse lemurs are among the shortest-lived of primates. The brown mouse lemur has a lifespan of 6–8 years in the wild, although it averages 12 years under human care. It can be found in
rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
s in Eastern Madagascar, and is widely distributed. It is a solitary and
nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
creature. Brown mouse lemurs are mammals.


Diet

Brown mouse lemurs are nocturnal creatures,“Mouse Lemurs, Mouse Lemur Pictures, Mouse Lemur Facts- National Geographic.” National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. which means they sleep during the day and search for food at night. According to National Geographic, brown mouse lemurs consume “insects, fruit, flowers, and other plants.” They are known to be mostly frugivorous primates (primarily fruit eating), but they can be omnivorous as well."Support the." Microcebus Rufus (Brown Mouse-lemur, Rufous Mouse-lemur, Rufous Mouse Lemur, Russet Mouse-lemur). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. The brown mouse lemur is able to store “thirty-five percent of their body weight” in the form of fat. This fat is stored in the lemur's hind legs and tail and is used for energy when food sources are scarce.


Mating & Breeding

According to Matthew Esser, “Sexual maturity is reached after one year of age.” The brown mouse lemur also has an established mating ritual.Esser, Matthew. "Microcebus Rufus (brown Mouse Lemur)." Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. A male will use “soft squeak calls and tail-lashing” to signal the female. The female shows that she is willing to mate by “ano-genital rubbing and mouth wiping." When the mating has ended, the female will making a threatening sound. Some of the males who are more dominant will have multiple mates. ”Brown mouse lemurs mate between September and October.” The offspring are usually born between November and December. There are usually one to three young for each litter; females are capable of having one to two litters each year. In the winter months following their birth, the males of the species leave the areas where they were born.


Habitat

The brown mouse lemur generally makes its home in holes found in trees and nests that are made of leaves. On occasion, brown mouse lemurs make use of bird nests. They tend to create the nests in relatively large groups. These groups are made up of the immature young and the females.


Threats

IUCN red list website states that, “The principal threat to this species is habitat loss due to slash-and-burn agriculture.” They are also threatened by natural predators in their habitat. Some of the well-known predators are “fossa (''Cryptoprocta ferox''), ring tailed mongoose(''Galidia elegans''), owls (''Strigiformes''), and Madagascar harrier hawk (''Polyboroides radiatus).''" Some say that brown mouse lemurs could be influential in spreading the seeds of plants and fruits they eat. As a result of deforestation they are at risk of extinction according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).


See also

*'' Lemurpediculus verruculosus''


References


External links


''Microcebus rufus''
at
Animal Diversity Web Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is an online database that collects the natural history, classification, species characteristics, conservation biology, and distribution information on thousands of species of animals. The website includes thousands ...
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q901158 Mouse lemurs Mammals described in 1834 Taxa named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire