Hubbard’s Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur hubbardorum
HUBBARD'S SPORTIVE LEMUR
Lepilemur hubbardorum
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
The Hubbard’s sportive lemur, also known as the Zombitse sportive lemur, can only be found in southwestern Madagascar, north of the Onilahy River and south of the Fiherena and Mangoky River within the Zombitse-Vohibasia region. Research is still being done to determine the lemurs’ eastern and western boundaries. Their preferred environments are dry and deciduous forests, making Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park a great home for them—as well as their only home! A study conducted over a span of 18 nights within the park documented 234 sightings of the species, indicating that there’s a range of 16,500 to 18,000 Hubbard’s sportive lemurs living in Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park. Their EOO (extent of occurrence) is estimated at less than 171 square miles (276 km²).
In 2006, new mitochondrial DNA sequencing data found that the Hubbard’s sportive lemur was considerably different from the red-tailed sportive lemur (with which they were originally grouped), granting the Hubbard’s sportive lemur its status as a unique species. It was originally given the scientific name L. hubbardi, but was changed in 2009 to their current name: L. hubbardorum.
Size, Weight, and Lifespan
With a head-body length ranging from 10 to 14 inches (25.4-35.5cm) and 9 to 10-inch tails (22.8-25.4cm), Hubbard’s sportive lemurs can weigh up to 2.2 pounds (1kg).
There is not enough published research on Hubbard’s sportive lemurs to accurately determine their typical lifespan. With that being said, sportive lemurs are known to live an average of 8 to 10 years in the wild, and sometimes up to 15 years in captivity.
Appearance
The most notable feature of the Hubbard’s sportive lemur would have to be their big, round, bulging eyes, perpetually making them look like they just got caught red-handed stealing a cookie from the cookie jar; these eyes can range from amber to an orangey brown. Their fur ranges in color from a tan auburn to a grayish brown, with their underbellies always being lighter in tone, and their snouts darker. Little oval ears stick out on either side of their head with a soft point, sometimes showcasing little peaks of their pinkish skin. Avid climbers, their hands have opposable thumbs and plump, bulbous fingertips.
Diet
Being herbivores, these lemurs primarily stick to eating leaves, fruits, flowers, and bark. Some of these dense, plant-based foods can be difficult to digest, but this is no trouble to them! They have specialized digestive systems, including an enlarged proximal colon, that efficiently break down the cellulose found in leaves in order to turn it into energy. With that being said, it is still important for the Hubbard’s sportive lemur to prioritize getting in plenty of rest to give their body the time and space it needs to effectively run this digestive process.
Behavior and Lifestyle
Hubbard’s sportive lemurs are nocturnal beings, though it is vital that they stay alert to possible threats during the daytime as they doze in tree hollows or behind leafy coverings. Their natural predators include the Madagascar boa and the fossa, a medium-sized, cat-like animal that is also endemic to Madagascar. As semi-terrestrial, mostly arboreal creatures, the lemurs are often found within the canopy, using their powerful hind legs to jump from branch to branch. They also use these legs to hop around on the ground, in a way that is sometimes compared to a kangaroo!
Sportive lemurs have been observed eating their own feces, as it helps provide an extra source of nutrients with all the broken-down cellulose it contains.
Though there is very little information about the Hubbard’s sportive lemur’s daily life and group dynamics specifically, we can pull from the information we know of the collective sportive lemur genus. These species can be quite solitary animals, sticking to their own personal, designated territories, aside from when they meet once a year to mate. Males’ territories typically tend to be larger than those of their female counterparts, and can sometimes overlap with some of the females’ zones. Disputes and aggressive behavior over these territories are usually only male-on-male or female-on-female.
They spend the daytime in nests made from hollow trees or tree holes, using their coat to camouflage themselves into the natural environment and stay hidden from predators. They do their foraging at night, though they don’t go far: studies have found that their night travels range from .17-.25 miles (.27 – .4 km).
Unfortunately, there is as little information about the Hubbard’s sportive lemur’s communication tactics as there is about their daily life and group dynamics. But we’ll make use of what is known! Sportive lemurs use vocalizations to protect their territories, as well as aggressive, charging behaviors that sometimes end in physical altercations with intruders. Scent markings are also used to outline territorial boundaries.
A majority of sportive lemurs are known to make a single-syllable “ou-ah” sound, as well as a high-pitched sound that is similar to that of a squirrel. There is also some research that suggests that the calls made by sportive lemurs could differ based on gender.
Sexual maturity is reached at about 1.5 years of age for sportive lemurs, which is also around the same age offspring will leave their mother’s care. Females give birth to 1-2 offspring at a time usually between September and December, after a 4-5 month gestation period. Infants are raised only by their mothers and weaned at about four months. Once weaned, mothers will find a nicely covered tree branch to keep their babies while they go out and look for food for them.
Like any primate that consumes a lot of fruit, the Hubbard’s sportive lemur contributes positively to their ecosystem by helping disperse seeds. Not only do they sometimes drop seeds while eating, but they also spread seeds and soil fertilizer through their feces (and after mentioning it twice, we’re officially done talking about lemur poop in this profile!) They also serve as a food source to their aforementioned natural predators: fossas and the Madagascar boa.
The Hubbard’s sportive lemur is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2018), appearing on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Climate change alone is predicted to completely wipe out the species’ range by 2080 through habitat changes, droughts, and extreme temperatures. Other threats include mining and quarrying, hunting and trapping (generally being hunted for food, using shotguns, spears, and dogs), logging, fires, and annual/perennial non-timber crops, which are flora planted for food, fiber, fuel, and other human needs.
Hubbard’s sportive lemurs are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international agreement between governments whose goal is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
There are in-place land/water protection orders over the entire range that where Hubbard’s sportive lemurs can be found, as well as international legislation and educational measures. With that being said, serious action must be taken or this species WILL go extinct eventually. Let’s fight to keep these big-eyed beauties around!
- https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136761/115585671
- https://www.animalia.bio/hubbards-sportive-lemur
- https://karger.com/fpr/article-abstract/92/1/70/144089/Population-Estimates-of-Hubbard-s-Sportive-Lemur?redirectedFrom=fulltext
- https://neprimateconservancy.org/small-toothed-sportive-lemur/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/niallcorbet/16325797981
- https://neprimateconservancy.org/red-tailed-sportive-lemur/
- https://nhpbs.org/wild/lepilemuridae.asp
- https://neprimateconservancy.org/ankarana-sportive-lemur/
- https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/fossa
- http://www.arthurgrosset.com/mammals/hubbardssportivelemur.html#:~:text=They%20are%20nocturnal%20and%20their,ferox%20and%20the%20Madgascar%20Boa.
- https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/974780594
- https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/detail/hubbards-sportive-lemur/
Written by Hannah Broadland, August 2024