Propithecus coquereli (A. Grandidier, 1867)

Scientific name:

Propithecus coquereli

Scientist name:

(A. Grandidier, 1867)

Malagasy:

Sifaka, Tsibahaka

English:

Coquerel’s Sifaka

German:

Coquerel’s Sifaka

Other english:

None

French:

Propithèque de Coquerel

Family:

INDRIIDAE Burnett, 1828

Taxa:

Propithecus

Species

Identification

Propithecus coquereli is a medium-sized, predominantly white sifaka of northwestern Madagascar. It has a head-body length of 42–50 cm, a tail length of 50–60 cm, a total length of 93–110 cm, and a weight of 3.7–4.3 kg (Tattersall, 1982; Kappeler, 1991; Ravosa et al., 1993). The pelage is dense. The dorsal coat color is mostly white, including the head and the tail. Prominent maroon patches cover the chest, the anterior and interior aspects of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, and sometimes the base of the back. The skin of the muzzle and face is bare and black, except for a white patch of fur extending across the bridge of the nose. The ears also are black, naked, and visible above the white fur of the head and cheeks. The eyes are yellow. It is impossible to confuse P. coquereli with any other lemur in its range.

Natural history

This diurnal vertical clinger-and-leaper is most commonly
found in mixed deciduous dry forests, and often in brush-
and-scrub and secondary formations that are immediately
adjacent to primary forest. In the forests of Ankarafantsika
it is seen in groups of 3–10, using home ranges of 4–9
ha (Petter, 1962a, 1962b; Albignac, 1981a). Densities
approaching 60 individuals/km2 are estimated for this site
(Ganzhorn, 1988). Coquerel’s sifaka feeds mostly on young
leaves, flowers, fruit, bark and dead wood in the wet season, and on mature leaves and buds in the dry season (Richard, 1974b). As many as 98 different plant species have been recorded in its diet (Richard, 1978a, 1978b).

Births are clustered in the months of June and July, and studies in captivity suggest a gestation period of 162 days (Richard, 1976, 1987). Infants cling to their mother’s chest for the first month or so, and then transfer to her back. They become completely independent by about six months of age and reach adult size in one year.

As with other western sifaka species, P. coquereli regularly goes to the ground. Interestingly, its ground locomotion is somewhat different from that of Propithecus verreauxi further to the south. Whereas P. verreauxi usually bounds along the ground in a sideways position, P. coquereli leaps forward in a kangaroo-like fashion.

Geographic range

Coquerel’s sifaka is found throughout the tropical dry lowland forests (up to 300 m) of northwestern Madagascar to the north and west of the Betsiboka River (Tattersall, 1982). Its most southerly occurrence is reportedly Ambato-Boéni, its northern limit is near Bealanana, and the eastern boundary of its range is near Antetemasy (just west of Befandriana Nord).

Conservation status

The 2008 IUCN Red List assessment classified P. coquereli as Endangered (EN). Its restricted distribution makes this sifaka particularly susceptible to habitat loss and hunting. Slash-and-burn agriculture and annual burning to create new pasture for livestock are the principal causes of forest loss in northwestern Madagascar, but trees are also cut to produce charcoal. All of these practices threaten even officially protected areas. In some areas local traditions place taboos on hunting sifakas, but immigration to this region continues to change such long-held customs, and hunting of this species does take place (Nicoll and Langrand, 1989).

The only two protected areas in which P. coquereli is known to occur are the Ankarafantsika National Park and the Bora Special Reserve (Nicoll and Langrand, 1989; Randrianambinina et al.,
2003c). Unfortunately, hunting

pressure on sifakas is significant in Ankarafantsika (Garcia and Goodman, 2003) and Bora has become seriously degraded. Populations of P. coquereli have also been reported from the forests of Anjiamangirana, Anjajavy, the Narinda Peninsula, and Mariarano, which should be considered for protected area status (N. Garbutt, pers. comm.; E. E. Louis Jr., pers. obs.).

As of 2010, there were 48 P. coquereli reported in various zoos in the United States, along with a few pairs in the Lemurs’ Park near Antananarivo, Madagascar (I. J. Porton, pers. comm.; C. Schwitzer

Where to see it

The best place to see Coquerel’s sifaka is at the Ampijoroa Forestry Station located right along the main road that runs through Ankarafantsika National Park. This site can be easily reached by car from Mahajanga (= Majunga) in about two hours, and a campsite and bungalows are available. Another excellent site where you can see this species is the forest around the Anjavavy Hotel, north of Mahajanga. There sifakas can be found every day right next to the hotel’s bungalows, and they are fully habituated.

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Species

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