Lepilemur grewcockorum Louis et al., 2006

Scientific name:

Lepilemur grewcockorum

Scientist name:

Louis et al., 2006

Malagasy:

Repahaka, Boenga, Boengy, Kitrontro, Kitanta

English:

Anjiamangirana Sportive Lemur

German:

Anjiamangirana Wieselmaki

Other english:

Grewcock’s Sportive Lemur

French:

Lépilémur d’Anjiamangirana, Lépilémur de Grewcock

Family:

LEPILEMURIDAE Gray, 1870

Taxa:

Lepilemur

Species

Identification

Lepilemur grewcockorum is a small sportive lemur with a head-body length of 25 cm, a tail length of 28–29 cm, a total length of 53–54 cm, and a weight of 780 g (Louis et al., 2006b). The pelage is predominantly gray above and light gray to white below with chocolate-mottled fur on the shoulders and along the sides of the body. A dark stripe is present on the midline of the crown. In some individuals, it continues onto the back. The ears are quite conspicuous with short hairs on the dorsal surface so they look almost pink. The tail is usually entirely gray, but it can have a white tip of variable length (this characteristic is also found occasionally in L. edwardsi and L. otto). The area around the maxilla and the dorsal surface of the snout is whitish-pink with whitish fur along the mandible that continues down the throat (Louis et al., 2006b).

Natural history

As of 2010, this species had not been studied in the wild.

Geographic range

Northwestern Madagascar. This species is currently known from the Anjiamangirana region, north of the Sofia River and south of the Maevarano River (Louis et al., 2006b). The range also includes the Bongolava Massif. Formerly, the sportive lemurs found in these areas were considered to be L. edwardsi. Craul et al. (2007) described Lepilemur manasamody from Ambongabe (15o19’38.3”S, 46o40’44.4”E) and Anjiamangirana, 15o09’24.6”S, 47o44’06.2”E) in the Province of Mahajanga. Zinner et al. (2007) pointed out that localities for this species and those for L. grewcockorum were only 2 km apart (the Anjiamangirana Classified Forest is the type locality for L. grewcockorum) and that there was no obvious biogeographical barrier between them. They suggested that manasamody was a junior synonym as a result. A molecular genetic analysis by Lei et al. (2008) subsequently confirmed this.

Conservation status

There is too little information to determine the conservation status of L. grewcockorum, so the latest IUCN Red List assessment (2008) classified it as Data Deficient (DD). It occurs in the proposed 50,300-ha conservation area on the Bongolava Massif. As of 2010, this species was not being kept in captivity (I. J. Porton, pers. comm.).

Where to see it

The best place to see this species is in the Anjiamangirana Classified Forest, which is south of the city of Antsohihy in the forest west of RN6.

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