| ||||||
| ||||||
Microcebus murinus (JGray mouse lemur; Lemur murinus |
|---|
| Links |
We parsed the following live from the Web into this page. Such content is managed by its original site and not cached on Discover Life. Please send feedback and corrections directly to the source. See original regarding copyrights and terms of use. |
| Names | |
| |
| Following served from University of Wisconsin |
| Following served from Duke University |
| Following modified from Animal Diversity |
Home
Microcebus murinus
|
|
By David Alvarado
Microcebus murinus is found throughout Madagascar in dense forest regions.
Gray mouse lemurs are extremely arboreal.They move by leaping from the branches of trees. They generally forage close to ground level. They inhabit a wide variety of forest types throughout Madagascar, and are found mostly in the dry deciduous forests of southern and western Madagascar in the regions between Fort-Dulphin and the Sambirano River.
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical
;
terrestrial
.
Terrestrial Biomes:
forest
;
scrub forest
.
Gray mouse lemurs are one of the smallest living primates. They are characterized by short limbs and large eyes. The head and body length is 12 to 14 cm and tail length of 13 to 14.5 cm. They have long, thin lower incisors and canines, making a dental comb used for grooming. They have a brownish-grey coat with reddish tones and a pale underside.
Some key physical features:
endothermic
;
heterothermic
;
bilateral symmetry
.
Sexual dimorphism:
sexes alike.
This species is polygynous; males mate with females in their home ranges.
Mating systems:
polygynous
.
Microcebus murinus reproduce between September and March. The gestation period varys from 54-69 days. They usually give birth to twins.
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous
;
seasonal breeding
; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate);
sexual
;
viviparous
.
Labor takes about 45 to 60 minutes and the infants begin to suckle after about 12 minutes. The infants weigh from 5.5-7g and are carried in the mother's mouth.
Parental investment:
pre-fertilization (protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-independence (provisioning: female, protecting: female).
Microcebus murinus are nocturnal foragers. They congregate at a common nest site during the day to sleep. The males sleep in pairs separate from the females. The females sleep in groups of up to fifteen. Females are dominant over males.
Microcebus murinus are mostly insectivorous. They occasionally eat small reptiles such as chameleons and tree frogs. They also feed on plants, leaves, fruits and flowers.
Primary Diet:
carnivore
(
insectivore
).
Animal Foods:
amphibians; reptiles; insects.
Plant Foods:
leaves; fruit; flowers.
Even though it is illegal to hunt and trade lemurs, mouse lemurs are often trapped and sold as pets.
IUCN Red List:
[link]
:
Lower Risk - Least Concern.
US Federal List:
[link]
:
Endangered.
CITES:
[link]
:
Appendix I.
Microcebus murinus is one of the least threatened of all lemur species. Their abundance is most likely due their small size and variable diet. All lemurs are protected by laws that make them illegal to hunt or capture, except for research and breeding in zoos. Loss of habitat is the largest current threat to lemur populations. In particular, deforestation poses the greatest risk to this species. Over 250 mouse lemurs can be found in captivity worldwide.
Find Microcebus murinus information at
David Alvarado (author), University of Michigan.
Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.
To cite this page: Alvarado, D. 2000. "Microcebus murinus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 09, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Microcebus_murinus.html.
Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.
Other formats: OWL
| Home ¦ About Us ¦ Special Topics ¦ Teaching ¦ About Animal Names ¦ Help |
Structured Inquiry Search — preview |
Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the
University of Michigan
Museum of Zoology
.
This material is based upon work supported by the
National Science Foundation
under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support.
Report Error
—
Comment
©1995-2008, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors.
All rights reserved.
| Discover Life | Top |
| © Designed by The Polistes Corporation |
