Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Infraordo: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Primates
Subordo: Strepsirrhini
Infraordo: Lemuriformes
Superfamilia: Lemuroidea
Familia: Indriidae
Genus: Avahi
Species: Avahi cleesei
Name
Avahi cleesei Thalmann & Geissmann, 2005
References
Primary references
Thalmann, U.; Geissmann, T. 2005: New species of woolly lemur Avahi (Primates: Lemuriformes) in Bemaraha (Central Western Madagascar). American journal of primatology, 67(3): 371–376. DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20191
Additional references
Thalmann, U.; Geissmann, T. 2006: Conservation assessment of the recently described John Cleese's woolly lemur, Avahi cleesei (Lemuriformes, Indridae). Primate conservation, (21): 45–49. PDF
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Cleese-Wollmaki
English: John Cleese's woolly lemur
The Bemaraha woolly lemur (Avahi cleesei), also known as Cleese's woolly lemur, is a species of woolly lemur native to western Madagascar, named after John Cleese. The first scientist to discover the species named it after Cleese, star of Monty Python, mainly because of Cleese's fondness for lemurs, as shown in Operation Lemur With John Cleese and Fierce Creatures, and his efforts at protecting and preserving them. The species was first recorded in 1990 by a team of scientists from Zurich University led by Urs Thalmann, but wasn't formally described as a species until November 11, 2005.[3]
The diurnal animal weighs about 5–6 kilograms (11–13 lb), has brown skin with white regions on the rear and inside of the thighs and has a short damp nose, large plate eyes, and ears which hardly stand out from the skin. It typically has a strictly vegetarian diet of leaves and buds, living together in small families. The local population calls the species dadintsifaky, which means "Grandfather of the sifaka", because it is similarly sized to sifakas, but more ponderous, heavyset and has ample greyish-brown fur.[3]
The habitat is limited to the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in western Madagascar, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The animal is probably threatened with becoming extinct in the long run, since the size of the population is unknown so far and its habitat shrinks continuously.[3]
Description
It is found in Western Madagascar, near the village of Ambalarano.[1] Its face is slightly more pale than its upper head, and the area above the nose extends to the forehead to contrast with the triangular pattern created by the forehead fur. The fur that borders the face is a black tone and forms a dark pattern in the shape of a line or stripe that resembles the letter "V". Its eyes are a maroon color with black eyelids, and the snout is black and hairless, while the corners of the mouth have a white tone. The fur on the head and body is a brown-gray color and has a slightly curled/freckled appearance. Its tail is beige or brownish-gray in color, and slightly red on the dorsal side of the base. The surface color of the lower limbs of the species is white, while the chest, belly, and inner area of the upper limbs is a light gray color with relatively thin fur.[4]
References
Louis, E.E.; Raharivololona, B.; Schwitzer, C.; Wilmet, L. (2020). "Avahi cleesei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T136335A115582253. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T136335A115582253.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
Thalmann, U.; Geissmann, T. (2005). "New species of woolly lemur Avahi (Primates: Lemuriformes) in Bemaraha (Central Western Madagascar)" (PDF). American Journal of Primatology. 67 (3): 371–376. doi:10.1002/ajp.20191. PMID 16287101. S2CID 1790777.
Thelmann, U.; Geissmann, T. (2000). "Distribution and geographic variation in the western woolly lemur (Avahi occidentalis) with description of a new species (A. unicolor)" (PDF). International Journal of Primatology. 21 (6).
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