Masoala fork-marked lemur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Masoala fork-marked lemur |
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The Masoala fork-marked lemur (Phaner furcifer) is also known as the eastern fork-marked lemur. You might also hear it called the Masoala fork-crowned lemur. This small lemur lives in the forests along the coast of northeastern Madagascar. It has big eyes and grey fur. Its long tail helps it balance. This lemur is active at night.
These lemurs mostly eat tree sap, which is also called gum. They find gum oozing from holes in trees. Insects often make these holes. They also eat insects to get more nutrients. Masoala fork-marked lemurs usually live in pairs. They have one baby at a time, usually in November or December. Sadly, their numbers are going down. This is because their forest home is being destroyed. Experts say this lemur is an endangered species.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Masoala fork-marked lemur gets its name from a special marking. A black stripe runs down its back. This stripe splits into two "forks" on its head. These forks go over its eyes and along its face. The rest of its fur is reddish or brownish-grey.
These lemurs are quite small. Their body length is about 22.7 to 28.5 centimeters (9 to 11 inches). Their tail is even longer, from 28.5 to 37 centimeters (11 to 14.5 inches). They usually weigh between 300 and 500 grams (10.5 to 17.6 ounces). That's about the weight of a can of soup!
Where Does It Live?
This lemur lives only in northeastern Madagascar. This means it is endemic to that area. Its home stretches from the Masoala Peninsula down to Toamasina. You can find them in moist lowland forests. They live at heights up to about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level.
How It Lives
Masoala fork-marked lemurs have an interesting social life. Some adults live as a pair. They share a sleeping hole during the day. But at night, they often move around on their own. The male might follow the female a few meters behind. Some males live alone. Their areas might overlap with more than one female.
A female's home area is usually about 4 hectares (10 acres). A male's area is about 3.8 hectares (9.4 acres). Sometimes, lemurs meet where their areas overlap. They don't fight. Instead, they make a lot of noise for about 10 to 20 minutes. These lemurs move on all fours. They run fast along branches. They also climb and jump. They usually stay a few meters above the ground. But sometimes, they go down to the forest floor.
What Do They Eat?
The main food for these lemurs is tree gum. This is the sticky sap that comes out of trees. The Masoala fork-marked lemur is very good at getting this gum. Like many lemurs, it has a special "toothcomb." This is a row of long, forward-pointing teeth in its lower jaw. They use this toothcomb to scrape gum from holes in trees. Insects often make these holes.
Their favorite trees for gum are Terminalia trees. But they also get gum from other trees, like Adansonia (baobab) trees. They also eat the buds of some plants. Certain beetle larvae burrow under the bark of Terminalia trees. This makes gum ooze out. These lemurs also lick flowers and a "syrup" made by insect larvae on other trees.
Night Life
This lemur is active at night. Each lemur pair has a territory. This territory includes about three Terminalia trees that are only for them. They also have access to about nine more trees in areas that overlap with other lemurs.
At dusk, the lemur leaves its sleeping hole. These holes are often in large trees like baobabs. They might also use old nests of other lemurs. The lemur goes straight to its Terminalia trees. It eats the gum and then moves to the next tree. They follow a regular path each night. Later, they visit other gum sources. They also go back to trees they visited earlier to find any gum they missed. A bird called the crested coua also eats gum from the same Terminalia trees during the day.
Eating Insects
Gum doesn't have much nitrogen. So, the Masoala fork-marked lemur needs to eat animals too. This helps them get all the nutrients they need. They hunt insects on tree bark and among leaves. They catch the insects with their hands and put them in their mouths. They usually hunt late at night, after they've finished gathering gum. Scientists often find insect parts in their droppings. In zoos, these lemurs were picky eaters. They didn't like grasshoppers or small lizards. But they loved large moths and praying mantises.
Reproduction and Family Life
Male and female lemurs talk to each other a lot at night. They use sounds to communicate. Unlike some other nocturnal lemurs, they don't use scent signals much. Their urine and droppings just fall to the forest floor.
Males have a large gland on their throat. They use this gland when grooming each other. Males, females, and young lemurs groom each other. The male might rub his gland on the female. Females are ready to have babies for about three to four days in June. They give birth to one baby in November or December. The baby stays in the parents' sleeping hole at first. As it gets older, the mother carries it. It clings to her belly, and later, to her back.
Why Is It Endangered?
The number of Masoala fork-marked lemurs is likely decreasing. Their forest home is being destroyed. People cut down trees for wood. They also clear land for farming by burning forests. This is called slash-and-burn agriculture.
This lemur is listed on Appendix I of CITES. This means it is highly protected from international trade. It also lives in several national parks, which helps protect it. However, the International Union for Conservation for Nature (IUCN) says this lemur is endangered. This means it faces a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
