Lepilemur septentrionalis Rumpler & Albignac 1975
Creators: name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Anthony B. Rylands
name: Don E. Wilson
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Primates
Lepilemuridae
Lepilemur
Lepilemur septentrionalis

description: 12.
Sahafary Sportive Lemur
Lepilemur septentrionalis
French: Lépilémur septentrional / German: Nordlicher Wieselmaki / Spanish: Lemur saltador de Sahafary
Other common names: Northern Sportive Lemur, Northern Weasel Lemur
Taxonomy. Lepilemur septentrionalis Rumpler & Albignac, 1975,
Madagascar, Sahafary Forest.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. NE Madagascar, extremely limited distribution in the far N of the island, just to the S of Antsiranana (= Diégo-Suarez), it was formerly believed to inhabit both dry and humid forests from the Montagne d’ Ambre region S to the Mahavavy River near Ambilobe in the W, and probably to the Fanambana River S of Vohémarin the E. However, with the recognition of the Ankarana Sportive Lemur (L. ankaranensis) as a distinct species, the range of the Sahafary Sportive Lemur was reduced to a handful of very small remnant forest patches nearthe villages of Madirobe and Ankarongana in the Sahafary region, and in the immediate vicinity of Andrahona, a small mountain rising out of the surrounding lowlands about 30 km south of Antsiranana and E of the RN6 main road. Recent faunal surveys in the Montagne des Francais, a calcareous massif of c.6114 ha approximately 12 km SE of Antsiranana, listed the Sahafary Sportive Lemur as one of the species occurring there, but this needs to be confirmed;it may be widerranging than the Ankarana Sportive Lemur.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 18-19 cm, tail ¢.25 cm; weight 600-750 g. A small species. Light grayish-brown on the body and head, with a gray underside. There is often a dark median stripe extending from the crown to the midline of the dorsum and occasionally brownish tinges around the shoulders. The tail is pale brown and darkens toward the tip. The ears are less prominent than those of other sportive lemur species, but they do project beyond the fur.
Habitat. Tropical dry deciduous and gallery forest fragments.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but it is presumably largely folivorous.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Nocturnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Data previously collected on the ecology and behavior of sportive lemurs in far northern Madagascar now relate to the more wide-ranging Ankarana Sportive Lemur. Consequently the Sahafary Sportive Lemur, as now defined, has not been studied in the wild.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List. One of the most geographically restricted and least protected of all sportive lemurs, the Sahafary Sportive Lemuris threatened mainly by habitat destruction for Eucalyptus plantations, firewood, and charcoal production; most of its habitat is already gone. It is sometimesillegally hunted for food. The total surviving population is unknown but likely very small, perhaps 100-150 individuals. It does not occur in any protected areas, and it is uncertain whether any of the forest patches in which it occurs are large enough for protected area status. The Andrahona Forest is considered sacred by local people, butit is very small, riddled with trails, and exploited for saplings, used in local construction. Socio-economic studies are underway to determine anthropogenic effects on the remaining population. It is possible that the sportive lemur in Montagne des Francais is the Sahafary Sportive Lemur, which would greatly improve its prospects for survival. A survey and genetic study there are urgently needed.
Bibliography. D'Cruze et al. (2007), Groves (2001), Hawkins et al. (1990), Lernould (2006), Louis, Engberg et al. (2006), Mittermeier, Landgrand et al. (2010), Mittermeier, Tattersall et al. (1994), Ratsirarson & Rumpler (1988), Ravaoarimanana, Tiedemann et al. (2004), Ravaoarimanana, Zaramody et al. (2009), Rumpler & Albignac (1975), Sabel et al. (2009).
description: Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Lepilemuridae, pp. 66-75 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 71, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6635114