SPORTIVE LEMURS

Nocturnal and mostly solitary, with at least twenty-seven recognized species.

SPORTIVE LEMURS

Genus: Lepilemur

Lepilemur ankaranensis

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

Ankarana sportive lemurs are small nocturnal primates endemic to the northern tip of Madagascar. Sometimes known as Ankarana weasel lemurs, these sportive lemurs are found in the damp evergreen and dry lowland forests of the Ankarana, Andrafiamena, and Analamerana protected areas, and along the sloped forests…

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Lepilemur dorsalis

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

Gray’s sportive lemurs, also known as gray-backed sportive lemurs or Nossi-bé sportive lemurs, are endemic to Madagascar and restricted to the northwestern Sambirano region of the island. The humid and sub-humid forests they inhabit are about 500 feet (155 m) above sea level and barely cover a 2.5-square-mile…

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Photo credit: Tato Grasso/Creative Commons

Lepilemur tymerlachsoni

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The Nosy Be sportive lemur, also known as Hawks’ sportive lemur, lives on the island of Nosy Be in the Lokobe region of northwestern Madagascar. The species inhabits primary and secondary forests where foliage is lush and dense and where hollowed tree trunks offer them obscure places to nest peacefully. Their need to…

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Lepilemur randrianasoloi

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

Like all lemurs, Randrianasolo’s sportive lemur, also known as the Bemaraha sportive lemur, is found only in the isolated island country of Madagascar, situated in the Indian Ocean about 250 mi (400 km) off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel. These prosimians live in the central-western region of…

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Lepilemur ruficaudatus

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The red-tailed sportive lemur is native to the west-central part of Madagascar, along the Mozambique Channel. Their habitats range from gallery forests to subtropical and tropical dry lowland deciduous forests. Sometimes called red-tailed weasel lemurs, these prosimians (both males and females) keep home ranges of…

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Lepilemur septentrionalis

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The Sahafary sportive lemur, also known as the northern sportive lemur or northern weasel lemur, is, like all lemurs, endemic to the island of Madagascar. Specifically, they reside in the far northern reaches of the island, north of the Irodo River, at elevations between 525 and 1,760 feet (160–537 m) above sea level in dry…

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Lepilemur sahamalaza

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

The Sahamalaza sportive lemur, also called the Sahamalaza Peninsula sportive lemur, is believed to be restricted to the Sahamalaza Peninsula in northwestern Madagascar and inhabits both primary and mature secondary forests. Unfortunately, this area has been subject to high levels of deforestation and only…

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Lepilemur microdon

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

The small-toothed sportive lemur, also known as the light-necked sportive lemur and the microdon sportive lemur, is endemic to Madagascar. They are found in the south and central regions of the eastern rainforest near Toamasina and Taolanaro. The small-toothed sportive lemur lives in dense rainforests ranging…

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Lepilemur mustelinus

CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE

Weasel sportive lemurs, also called greater sportive lemurs or greater weasel lemurs, are endemic to the primary and secondary rainforests of Eastern Madagascar, a large island off the coast of East Africa. The species is found in protected areas, such as the Mantadia and Zahamena national parks, the…

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Lepilemur leucopus

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED

White-footed sportive lemurs are medium-sized prosimians native to southern Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world located in the Indian Ocean. Madagascar is 250 miles (400 km) from the African continent, which keeps lemurs separated from the rest of Africa’s primate population. White-footed sportive...

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