Lepilemur leucopus 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 leucopus

description: 26.
White-footed Sportive Lemur
Lepilemur leucopus
French: Lépilémur a pieds blancs / German: WeilRfulR-Wieselmaki / Spanish: Lémur saltador de pies blancos
Other common names: \ White-footed Weasel Lemur
Taxonomy. Lepidolemur leucopus Forsyth Major, 1894,
Madagascar, Fort Dauphin.
C. I. Forsyth Major's L. globiceps specimen, collected in the late 19" century and here considered synonymous, nevertheless appears to have some minor differences in skull morphology. Monotypic.
Distribution. S & SW Madagascar; found from S of the Onilahy River (c.23° 30" S) in the W to the spiny forest portion of Andohahela National Park (near Tolagnaro) in the E.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 19-26 cm, tail 22-26 cm; weight 580 g. One of the smallest sportive lemurs. The dorsal coat, including the head,is pale gray tending toward brown at the shoulders, upper forelimbs, and upper thighs, while the underside is grayish-white and often conspicuous along the flanks and around the base of the tail, even when the animal is clinging to a vertical support. Thetail is grayish-brown. The face is also grayish-brown, and the eyes are marked by whitish spectacles. The ears are relatively large, rounded and have whitish tufts at their bases.
Habitat. Mainly spiny Didiereaceae forest and bushy areas, but also gallery, riverine, and subtropical dry lowland forests from sea level to 300 m.
Food and Feeding. In spiny bush forest, leaves of the spiny trees Alluaudia procera and A. ascendens (Didiereaceae) are mainstays of the diet, with flowers providing supplementary food during the dry season. In other forest habitats, leaves from Tamarindus indica (Fabaceae), Euphorbia tirucalli (Euphorbiaceae), and various vine species are consumed. The flowers of 1. indica are also eaten.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Nocturnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. This species has been studied mainly in the gallery forest and spiny forest of the Berenty Reserve. Territories are small (much less than a hectare in size) and are defended by both males and females. The sexes may sleep separately or together during the day, either in tree holes or liana tangles. Densities in both the gallery and spiny forests of the Berenty Reserve have been estimated at several hundred individuals per square kilometer.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Data Deficient on The [UCN Red List. The White-footed Sportive Lemur is threatened mainly by habitat destruction to clear land for pasture and the felling of trees for charcoal production. It is known to occur in Andohahela and Tsimanampetsotsa national parks and the Berenty Reserve. Establishment of a new protected area toward the center ofits range needs to be considered.
Bibliography. Charles-Dominique & Hladik (1971), Garbutt (2007), Groves (2001), Hladik & Charles-Dominique (1974), Jenkins (1987), Louis, Engberg et al. (2006), Mittermeier et al. (2010), Petter et al. (1977), Russell (1977, 1980), Sussman & Richard (1986), Tattersall (1982).
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 75, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6635114