The Mouse lemur ( Microcebus sp. ), family of Cheirogalidae,

Is the smallest primates in the world. This species body length is less than 5 inches long ( Head and body length : 12 cm, Tail length : 13 cm, Weight : 109 g ). Discrete and not so easy to find in the nature, we know only few things about this little animal. Mouse lemur is strictly nocturnal and in the whole day, it sleeps in a hollow shaft or in a tree cavity.

Olfaction is particularly important to lemurs. Olfaction can communicate information about age, sex, reproductive status, as well as demarcate the boundaries of a territory. Small, nocturnal lemurs will mark their territories with urine.

 

Grey Mouse lemurs ( Madagascar )

Store fat in their tails and although they become less active in the winter, they do not hibernate. They inhabit Western & Southern Madagascar. They are typically found in a range of dense forest types and they feed on fruit, flowers, nectar, insects and spiders. The Grey Mouse lemur's behaviour : They live in groups of up to 15. They occupy home ranges of 0.07 - 2ha, and male ranges overlap several female ranges. They scent-mark their ranges by rubbing their faces on twigs and by urinating on their hands and feet. These lemurs are nocturnal and arboreal. During the day, they sleep in tree holes. Males tend to sleep alone, but several females may sleep together. Females give birth to 2 - 4 young after a gestation period of 59 - 62 days.

 

The Mouse lemur ( Madagascar ) is chiefly an insectivorous mammal

And its size is like a mouse. You can find them in Ranomafana, in Andasibe ( Rufous mouse lemur : Microcebus rufus ), or in Berenty ( Grey mouse lemur : Microcebus murinus ), etc. The Mouse lemur can live 15 years.

 

Social systems of Mouse lemurs ( Madagascar )

Nocturnal lemurs are mostly solitary but social, foraging alone at night but often nesting in groups during the day. In many nocturnal species the females, along with their young, will share nests with other females and possibly one male, whose larger home range happens to overlap one or more female nesting groups.

 

Activity patterns of Mouse lemurs ( Madagascar )

In order to conserve energy and water in their highly seasonal environment, Mouse lemurs exhibit seasonal behavioral cycles of dormancy. They are ( with Dwarf lemurs ) the only primates known to do so. Prior to the dry winter season, when food and water are scarce, they will accumulate fat reserves in their hind legs and the base of their tail. During the dry season, they can exhibit daily and prolonged torpor. Mouse lemurs have been observed experiencing torpor that lasts for several consecutive days, ( but Dwarf lemurs are known to hibernate for six to eight months every year ( May through September and more ) ) particularly on the west coast of Madagascar.

Three new species of world's smallest primate ( world's smallest lemur ) :

Deep in the forests of Madagascar German scientists have discovered three new species of the world's smallest primate, the Mouse lemur. But the habitat these tiny creatures call home is now being threatened by mass deforestation. Three years have passed since three new species of mouse lemur :
Microcebus bongolavensis,
Microcebus danfossi and
Microcebus lokobensis
were discovered by German scientists in the forests of Madagascar.

Nevertheless, a lot of time can pass before an animal species is officially " baptized " with a scientific name. The road to obtaining an official Latin name is a long one -- filled with pitfalls and hurdles that involve a painstaking research process into the new species that ends with a peer-reviewed study published in a scientific journal. Only after other scientists review the research, corrections are made and it is successfully defended can the scientific baptism finally be completed. ( Tonia Sorrentino - 2006 )

 

 

Trip to Madagascar to see Mouse lemurs and other lemurs,

Do you want to be satisfy for mouse lemurs watching ? I suggest you the trip below. Madagascar is the kingdom of lemurs, the kingdom of baobabs and the kingdom of chameleons. So if you like nature go here. With our experiences since ... 1993, we will give you excellent advice. To organise your trip and to guide you to make your trip pleasing and unforgetable. No one who visits the island is left unaffected either by the warmth and hospitality of the Malagasy people.

Through wonderful beaches, through evergreen humid forests, through montane rainforests, through baobab forests and deciduous dry forests, and through savanna and euphorbia scrub. Madagascar, a big island which lies in the Indian Ocean, eastern of Africa, is becoming a new destination for ecological tour lovers, for discovery tour lovers & for trekking tour lovers.

For example, to see really the mouse lemurs and other species of lemurs, I suggest you :

14 days in Madagascar where :

- You will visit 3 important National Parcs : Andasibe, Ranomafana and Isalo
- You will be very satisfy for lemurs watching
- You will be very satisfy for local people contact ( peasants, etc. )
- You will use 3 different means of transport : the train folk, a slowly boat and a 4WD vehicle
- You will do alot of trekking and walking
- You will discover what is important to see in Madagascar
- But you will discover too marvellous things off the beaten tracks which can be seen only by those who know really the country

For more details include the approximate cost, thank you to contact me, and thank's alot for your trust.

For more information, you can write to the following people. They have alot of experiences about travel and big travel. I have had the opportunity to meet them, I was their tour guide during their trip in Madagascar. Thanks alot to them to permit me to put their names and adresses on this web site. Don't hesitate to contact them and thank you so much :