SIFAKAS

Active during the day, these nine vegetarian lemur species are famous for their leaping skills.

SIFAKAS

Genus: Propithecus

Propithecus coquereli

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

The Coquerel’s sifaka (pronounced “shuh–fokk”), also known as the crowned sifaka, can be found in the forested regions of northwestern Madagascar. This lemur’s range includes areas north and east of the Betsiboka River, extending southeast to Maevatanana along the river’s eastern side. To the west, their territory reaches…

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Propithecus coronatus

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The crowned sifaka, not to be confused with the closely related golden-crowned sifaka, is a species of lemur that, like all lemurs, is endemic to the island of Madagascar. This species inhabits the dry deciduous and mangrove forests of the northwest side of Madagascar, and can be found up to an elevation of about…

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Propithecus diadema

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

Diademed sifakas naturally occur along the northeastern coast of Madagascar. The Onive River is a geographical barrier and limits the sifaka’s range in the south. The diademed sifakas are thought to be the most widely distributed sifaka species. However, this does not necessarily mean that there are a lot of diademed sifakas…

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Photo credit: Alex Chiang/Flickr/Creative Commons​

Propithecus tattersalli

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

Golden-crowned sifakas, also known as Tattersall’s sifakas, are endemic to Loky-Manambato, near the town of Daraina, in northeastern Madagascar. The area spreads over approximately 960 square miles (2,500 square kilometers). It is one of the richest for its biodiversity, with over 1,200 plant species as well as many…

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Propithecus edwardsi

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

Like all species of lemurs, the Milne-Edwards’s sifaka, also known as the Milne-Edwards’s simpona, is found only on the island of Madagascar. They inhabit both continuous and fragmented primary and secondary rainforests along a strip of southeastern Madagascar at elevations of 1,967–5,250 ft (600–1,600 m)…

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Photo: © globalherping/iNaturalist/Creative Commons

Propithecus perrieri

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The Perrier’s sifaka has a very restricted range in northeastern Madagascar. Their range extends from the eastern edges of the Analamerana limestone massif, a compact group of mountains along the Indian Ocean coast to the sandstone forests of the Andrafiamena mountains as far west as the peaks of Ambohibe, which are…

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Propithecus candidus

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

Silky sifakas, also known as silky simponas, inhabit montane and mid-altitude rainforests. They reside in a restricted range in northeastern Madagascar, mostly in Marojejy National Park and Anjanaharibe-Sub Special Reserve (ASSR). Although populations are more fragmented, they are also found in the Makira Natural…

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Propithecus verreauxi

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

Verreaux’s sifakas, like all lemurs, make their home in Madagascar and nowhere else in the world. They live in a wide range of diverse habitats over the southwestern and southern regions of the island. The habitats of these areas vary dramatically from dry spiny transitional forest patches to more humid rainforests…

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Photo credit: Heinonlein/Creative Commons

Propithecus deckenii

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The Von der Decken’s sifaka or simply Decken’s sifaka, is one of nine distinct species of sifakas endemic to Madagascar. It and three other species that live on the western half of the island were once considered a subspecies of the Verreaux sifaka (Propithecus verreaux). Recently, closer anatomical research has determined…

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