Cheirogaleus major (*)
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: Cheirogaleidae
Genus: Cheirogaleus
Species: Cheirogaleus major
Name
Cheirogaleus major É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1812: 172
Neotype: MNHN 148, mounted skin and skull. [designated by Groves (2000: 957)]
Type locality: not assigned; probably either Toamasina (formerly Tamatave) or between there and Antananarivo (Goodman in litt.).
Synonyms
Lemur commersonii Wolf, 1822 [renaming of Cheirogaleus major É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire]
Cheirogaleus milii É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1828: 24
Holotype: MNHN 148, mounted skin and skull.
Type locality: not assigned.
Cheirogaleus typicus Smith, 1833: 50
Holotype: BMNH 37.9.26.77.
Type locality: “Madagascar.”
Mioxicebus griseus Lesson, 1840 [renaming of Cheirogaleus major É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire]
Cheirogaleus ravus Groves, 2000: 960 [synonymised by Groeneveld et al. (2009: 16)]
Holotype: BMNH 88.2.18.3, young adult indet., skin and skull.
Type locality: “Tamatave [=Toamasina] (about 18ºS, 14ºE),” Madagascar
References
Primary references
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, É. 1812. Notes sur trois dessins de Commerçon. Annales du Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris 19: 171–175.
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, E. 1828. Cours de l’Histoire Naturelle des Mammifères. Paris.
Smith, A. 1833. African zoology. South African Quarterly Journal 2(1): 49–64. BHL
Groves, C.P. 2000. The genus Cheirogaleus: unrecognized biodiversity in dwarf lemurs. International Journal of Primatology 21(6): 943–962. DOI: 10.1023/A:1005559012637 Reference page.
Groeneveld, L.F., Weisrock, D.W., Rasoloarison, R.M., Yoder, A.D. & Kappeler, P.M. 2009. Species delimitation in lemurs: multiple genetic loci reveal low levels of species diversity in the genus Cheirogaleus. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9: 30. Reference page.
Links
Cheirogaleus major in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Großer Katzenmaki (Großer Fettschwanzmaki)
English: Greater Dwarf Lemur
español: Lemur enano mayor
italiano: Chirogaleo bruno (Chirogaleo maggiore)
Nederlands: Grote katmaki
中文: 大鼠狐猴
The greater dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus major), or the Geoffroy's dwarf lemur, is a lemur that is widely distributed over the primary and secondary forests near the eastern coast of Madagascar. They are also found in northern parts of Madagascar. Greater dwarf lemurs live in forests and dry scrub areas. The head and body of the greater dwarf lemur can range from 167 to 264 millimeters in length, and 164 to 600 grams. Their tails can range from 195 to 310 millimeters in length.[4]
Greater dwarf lemurs are nocturnal. During the day, they sleep in nests of twigs, leaves, and grass, or hollowed sections of trees padded with dry leaves.[4]
Their diet consists mostly of fruits, flowers, and nectar. Flower nectar is an important part of the diet from November to December. Sometimes they will also eat insects and small vertebrates. During the dry seasons they will store fat in their tail and become dormant.[5]
Its fur is short, dense, grey or reddish brown, and there are dark circles of fur around the eyes. At the end of the wet season the tail will become somewhat swollen with fat.[4]
The greater dwarf lemur is preyed upon by the ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans) during the dormant season. Other predators the Malagasy tree boa (Boa manditra), the Madagascar buzzard (Buteo brachypterus),[6] and it is thought probably by the Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) as well, since the latter preys on other lemurs.[7]
Locomotion
The greater dwarf lemur is an arboreal quadruped, it moves along the horizontal branches with a regular gait pattern involving all four limbs. They are not agile leapers.[5]
Mating
Mating occurs in October with births from November to February. Mothers build nests to give birth to their offspring that average in height from six to twelve meters. They generally give birth to twins. Mothers carry infants in their mouths.[8]
Vocalization
Greater dwarf lemurs are not very vocal. They make soft calls to locate others.[5]
Taxonomy
ChirogaleusMiliiSmit.jpg
Between 2000 and 2009, populations of dwarf lemur around Tamatave, Tampira, Mahambo, Ancaya, Ambodivoangy, and Fesi Malendo were known as a separate species, the greater iron-gray dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus ravus). It was described as having a pelage coloration that is iron-gray with brownish tones, a vague dorsal stripe, white feet, a tail with a white tip, and dark ears that are either naked or sparsely covered with hair. However, in 2009, Groeneveld et al. demonstrated genetically that Cheirogaleus ravus was a synonym of Cheirogaleus major, so the greater iron-gray dwarf lemur is no longer recognized as a species.[9][10]
References
Wikispecies has information related to Greater dwarf lemur.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cheirogaleus major.
Blanco, M.; Borgerson, C.; Dolch, R.; Donati, G.; Ganzhorn, J.; Greene, L.K.; Le Pors, B.; Lewis, R.; Louis, E.E.; Rafalinirina, H.A.; Raharivololona, B.; Rakotoarisoa, G.; Ralison, J.; Randriahaingo, H.N.T.; Rasoloarison, R.M.; Razafindrasolo, M.; Sgarlata, G.M.; Wright, P.; Zaonarivelo, J. (2020). "Cheirogaleus major". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T54778911A115588708. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T54778911A115588708.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
Harcourt, C. (1990). Thornback, J (ed.). Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros: The IUCN Red Data Book (PDF). World Conservation Union. ISBN 978-2-88032-957-0. OCLC 28425691.
Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 112. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
Cooper, A. 2000. "Cheirogaleus major" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed July 25, 2012 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cheirogaleus_major.html
"Greater Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus major)". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
Goodman, S. M.; O'Conner, S.; Langrand, O. (1993). "A review of predation on lemurs: Implications for the evolution of social behavior in small, nocturnal primates". Lemur Social Systems and Their Ecological Basis: 51–66. doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-2412-4_5. ISBN 978-1-4899-2414-8.
Wright, P. C.; et al. (1997). "Predation on Milne Edwards Sifaka (Propithecus diadema edwardsi) by the Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) in the rainforest of southeastern Madagascar". Folia Primatologica. 68 (1): 34–43. doi:10.1159/000157230. PMID 9170643.
"AnAge entry for Cheirogaleus major". Retrieved 25 July 2012.
Mittermeier, R.A.; Louis, E.E.; Richardson, M.; Schwitzer, C.; et al. (2010). Lemurs of Madagascar. Illustrated by S.D. Nash (3rd ed.). Conservation International. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-934151-23-5. OCLC 670545286.
Groeneveld, L.F.; Weisrock, D.W.; Rasoloarison, R.M.; Yoder, A.D.; Kappeler, P.M. (2009). "Species delimitation in lemurs: multiple genetic loci reveal low levels of species diversity in the genus Cheirogaleus". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 9 (30): 30. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-9-30. PMC 2652444. PMID 19193227.
Cooper, A. 2000. "Cheirogaleus major" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed July 24, 2012
"AnAge entry for Cheirogaleus major". Retrieved 24 July 2012.
"Greater Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus major)". Retrieved 24 July 2012.
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