Lepilemur microdon Forsyth Major 1894
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 microdon

description: 3.
Small-toothed Sportive Lemur
Lepilemur microdon
French: Lépiléemur a petites dents / German: Kleinzahn-Wieselmaki / Spanish: Lémur saltador de dientes pequenos
Other common names: Small-toothed Weasel Lemur
Taxonomy. Lepidolemur microdon Forsyth Major, 1894,
Madagascar, eastern Betsileo, Ankafana Forest.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. SE Madagascar, the range of this species currently appears to extend in a NE to SW trajectory from Ranomafana National Park to Andringitra National Park. Nonetheless, the relationships between the various taxa of sportive lemurs in SE Madagascar need further study, and the distributional limits of the Small-toothed Sportive Lemur are still poorly known.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 27-32 cm, tail 25-29 cm; weight c.1 kg. A large species. The dorsal fur is thick and reddish-brown with a dark midline stripe, but the underside, face, and sides of the neck are a pale gray-brown to light beige, sometimes with a yellowish tinge on the abdomen. The forelimbs and shoulders are a rich chestnutbrown, and the tail darkens toward the tip. The eyes are light yellow. The molars are notably small, and indeed it was on this basis that the form wasfirst distinguished from the Weasel Sportive Lemur (L. mustelinus), which it closely resembles. Indeed, the two species are almost impossible to distinguish under field conditions.
Habitat. Primary and secondary rainforest with dense saplings and bamboo. This species selects large trees, with a diameter at breast height of more than 65 cm, for its diurnal sleeping sites.
Food and Feeding. Leaves, fruits, and flowers.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Nocturnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. This species is solitary, spending its days asleep hidden in a tree cavity or in a tangle of vines and leaves. Females share their sleeping sites with adolescent offspring, but males seem to sleep alone. The nightly travel distance of a male Small-toothed Sportive Lemur was 320 m in Ranomafana National Park.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Data Deficient on The [IUCN Red List. However, at the IUCN/SSC Lemur Red-Listing Workshop held in July 2012, L. microdon was assessed as endangered. The Small-toothed Sportive Lemur is reported to occur in Andringitra and Ranomafana national. As with other species of sportive lemurs, threats include loss of forests to agriculture and hunting pressure.
Bibliography. Andriaholinirina et al. (2005), Ganzhorn (1988), Garbutt (2007), Goodman & Rakotondravony (1998), Groves (2001), Jenkins (1987), Louis, Engberg et al. (2006), Mittermeier et al. (2010), Petter & Petter-Rousseaux (1960, 1979), Petter et al. (1977), Porter (1998), Ratsirarson & Ranaivonasy (2002).
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 68, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6635114