Eulemur fulvus (É. Geoffroy, 1796)

Scientific name:

Scientist name:

(É. Geoffroy, 1796)

Malagasy:

Varika, Varike, Varikosy, Akomba, Gidro, Dedrika (between Mampikony and Port-Bergé), Varikafasin, (Andasibe region), Varikamava (Andasibe region) Comoros Islands: Komba Mainty

English:

Brown Lemur

German:

Brauner Maki

Other english:

Common Brown Lemur

French:

Lémur brun

Family:

LEMURIDAE Gray, 1821

Taxa:

Eulemur

Species

Identification

Eulemur fulvus is a medium-sized lemur with a head-body length of 43–50 cm, a tail length of 41–51 cm, an overall length of a little more than a meter, and a body weight of 1.7–2.1 kg (C. Schwitzer, pers. obs.). Males and females are similarly colored. The dorsal coat is brown to gray-brown and the ventral coat is paler, tending toward gray. The face, muzzle and crown are dark brown to almost black, the beard is lighter, and patches of light fur above the eyes are variable. Animals in the northern part of this lemur’s range have large light patches over the eyes, while the eye patches of animals from more southerly populations may be barely discernible. The eyes are orange-red. In the field, E. fulvus is most likely to be confused with the mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz) in the west and the red-bellied lemur (E. rubriventer) in the east, especially if only a fleeting glimpse of the animal is obtained. Eulemur mongoz tends to be grayer and exhibits sexually dimorphic coloration, as does E. rubriventer. Male red-bellied lemurs also have distinctive white “tear-drops” beneath their eyes, and females have white fur on the throat, chest and abdomen. Eulemur fulvus is usually more active and visible and moves in larger groups than these two species, which also facilitates distinguishing it from its congeners. The population of this species on Mayotte shows many signs of being a hybrid swarm, composed mainly of E. fulvus founders but with features of a number of other brown lemur species (Mittermeier et al., 2008c). Further genetic investigation on this population would be interesting, but we do not consider it to be taxonomically distinct.

Natural history

The brown lemur has been studied at Ankarafantsika by Harrington (1975), on the island of Mayotte by Tattersall (1977a), and at Andasibe (= Périnet) by Ganzhorn (1988). In Madagascar, groups vary in size from 3 to 12, home ranges from 7 to 20 ha, and population densities are 40 to 60 individuals/km2. Female dominance appears not to be a feature of this species (Pereira et al., 1990). The diet consists largely of fruits, young leaves, and flowers. Rasmussen (1999) found that E. fulvus sampled more than 100 plant species, but that only 15 of these made up the bulk of the diet. On Mayotte, Tattersall (1982) described considerable seasonal variation in diet, with fruit, leaves or flowers predominating in any one month. Ganzhorn (1988) also documented high levels of tannins and alkaloids in the diet. In terms of activity pattern, Rasmussen (1999) noted that the brown lemur remains diurnal throughout the year, but increases levels of nocturnal activity during the dry season.

Geographic range

This species is found in western Madagascar north of the Betsiboka River, on the high plateau in scattered forest fragments, and in eastern Madagascar to the north of the Mangoro River as far as Tsaratanana, inland of the range of Eulemur albifrons. It is one of only two species to occur outside of Madagascar, being found on the island of Mayotte in the Comoros, where it was apparently introduced by our own species prior to European arrival. However, as noted above, the Mayotte population is not pure Eulemur fulvus. The western populations can be divided into two sub-distributions, a southern one extending from the Betsiboka River and Ankarafantsika National Park north to the Maevarano River, and a northern one ranging from the Manongarivo Special Reserve to the Mahavavy du Nord River. Animals in the northern reaches of this range may also be found throughout the moister forests of the Sambirano region, as well as on the slopes of the Tsaratanana Massif, and they are very similar in coloration to the brown lemurs found on the island of Mayotte. In eastern Madagascar, E. fulvus is found northeast of Antananarivo and as far as the Ambatovaky Special Reserve. The distribution of E. fulvus in the northern part of its range and its relation to E. albifrons remain unclear, and additional surveys are needed.

Conservation status

The 2008 IUCN Red List assessment of E. fulvus classified it as Vulnerable (VU). The principal threats are habitat loss due to slash- and-burn agriculture and hunting with firearms, blowguns, and traps. This species occurs in four national parks (Andringitra, Ankarafantsika, Mantadia, and Zahamena), two strict nature reserves (Tsaratanana and Zahamena), and seven special reserves (Ambatovaky, Ambohitantely, Analamazaotra, Bora, Mangerivola, Manongarivo, and Tampoketsa-Analamaitso) (Nicoll and Langrand, 1989; CBSG, 2002; Randriambinina et al., 2003a, 2003c; E. E. Louis Jr., pers. obs.). As of 2009, there were approximately 160 individuals in zoos around the world, though unfortunately many would appear to be of mixed or unknown origin (ISIS, 2009).

Where to see it

In eastern Madagascar, E. fulvus is easily seen at Andasibe (= Périnet), where it is one of the most common lemurs in both the Analamazaotra Special Reserve and Mantadia National Park. In western Madagascar, it is very easy to find at the Ampijoroa Forestry Station in Ankarafantsika National Park. The Anjajavy Hotel in northwestern Madagascar is also an excellent place to see this species, since it is found in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, and is completely habituated.

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Species

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