Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros The lUCN Red Data Book Prepared by The World Conservation Monitoring Centre lUCN - The World Conservation Union 6(^2_ LEMURS OF MADAGASCAR and the Comoros The lUCN Red Data Book lUCN - THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION Founded in 1948, lUCN - The World Conservation Union - is a membership organisation comprising governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), research institutions, and conservation agencies in 120 countries. The Union's objective is to promote and encourage the protection and sustainable utilisation of living resources. Several thousand scientists and experts from all continents form part of a network supporting the work of its six Commissions: threatened species, protected areas, ecology, sustainable development, environmental law and environmental education and training. Its thematic programmes include tropical forests, wetlands, marine ecosystems, plants, the Sahel, Antarctica, population and natural resources, and women in conservation. These activities enable lUCN and its members to develop sound policies and programmes for the conservation of biological diversity and sustainable development of natural resources. WCMC - THE WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE The World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) is a joint venture between the three partners in the World Conservation Strategy, the World Conservation Union (lUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its mission is to support conservation and sustainable development by collecting and analysing global conservation data so that decisions affecting biological resources are based on the best available information. WCMC has developed a global overview database of the world's biological diversity that includes threatened plant and animal species, habitats of conservation concern, critical sites, protected areas of the world, and the utilisation and trade in wildlife species and products. Drawing on this database, WCMC provides an information service to the conservation and development communities, governments and United Nations agencies, scientific institutions, the business and commercial sector, and the media. WCMC produces a wide variety of specialist outputs and reports based on analyses of its data. ^ Co) «4». UNEP LEMURS OF MADAGASCAR and the Comoros The lUCN Red Data Book Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge, U.K. by Caroline Harcourt with assistance from Jane Thornback (Project coordinator and editor) Financial support from Bristol Zoo Conservation International Worid Wildlife Fund (U.S.) Primate Program Madagascar Fauna Captive Propagation Group Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and the Pare Zoologique et Botanique de la Ville de Mulhouse lUCN - THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K. 1990 Published by lUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K. with financial support from Bristol Zoo, Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund (U.S.) Primate Program, Madagascar Fauna Captive Propagation Group, Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and the Pare Zoologique et Botanique de la Ville de Mulhouse. A contribution to GEMS - The Global Environment Monitoring System. WWF CONSERVATION GARDENS ^^ INTERNATIONAL Copyright 1990 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior permission from the copyright holder [s]. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without the prior written permission of the copyright holders[s]. Citation: Harcoiu-t, C, and Thomback, J. (1990) Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros. The lUCN Red Data Book. lUCN, Gland, Switzeriand and Cambridge, U.K. ISBN: 2-88032-957-4 Printed by: Unwin Brothers Limited, The Gresham Press, Old Woking, Surrey, U.K. Cover illustration: Indri by: Brian Groombridge Typesetting by: Richard Maling, lUCN PubUcations Services Unit Available from: lUCN Publications Services, 2I9c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CBS ODL, U.K. The designations of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of lUCN, or other participating organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views of the authors expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of lUCN or other participating organisations. Dedicated to Sir Peter Scott (1909-1989) who initiated Red Data Books and who gave boundless enthusiasm and committment to the cause of conservation. CONTENTS PREFACES 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 CATEGORIES OFTHREAT 6 INTRODUCTION 7 THE LEMURS OF MADAGASCAR AND THEIR 15 DEGREE OF THREAT PROTECTED AREAS OF MADAGASCAR 17 AND THEIR LEMURS THE lUCN/SSC PRIMATE SPECIALIST GROUP 27 DATASHEETS 29 The organisation of the data sheets 29 Request for further information 29 Taxonomic classification followed 29 DATA SHEETS OF THREATENED LEMURS 31-231 OF MADAGASCAR Family CHEIROGALEIDAE 32-70 Microcebus mwinus 32 Microcebus rufus 40 Mirza coquereli 44 Cheirogaleus medius 50 Cheirogaleus major 56 Allocebus trichotis 60 Phaner furcifer 66 Family MEGALADAPIDAE 72-103 Lepilemur dorsalis 72 Lepilemur edwardsi 78 Lepilemur leucopus 82 Lepilemur microdon 88 Lepilemur mustelinus 93 Lepilemur ruficaudatus 97 Lepilemur septentrionalis 100 Family LEMURIDAE 104-185 Lemur catta 104 Lemur coronatus 112 Lemur macaco 118 m. macaco 120 m.flavifrons 121 Lemur mongoz 126 Lemur rubriventer 132 Lemurfulvus 138 /. albifrons 141 f. albocollaris 143 /. collaris 145 f. fulvus 147 f. mayottensis 149 f.rufiis 150 f.sanfordi 153 Vareciavariegata 158 V. variegata 161 V. rubra 163 Hapalemur griseus 168 g.griseus 171 g. alaotrensis 173 g.occidentalis 174 Hapalemur aureus 178 Hapalemur simus 182 Family INDRHDAE 186 225 Avahilaniger 186 l.laniger 189 l.occidentalis 191 Indriindri 194 Propithecus diadema 200 d. diadema 203 d. candidus 204 d. edwardsi 205 d.perrieri 206 Propithecus tattersalli 210 Propithecus verreauxi 214 v.verreauxi 216 V. coquereli 219 v.deckeni 222 Family DAUBENTONHDAE 226-231 Daubentoniamadagascariensis 226 APPENDICES 233-37 A Population viability analysis data fomi 233 B Distribution Survey of the Malagasy Lemurs: Request for information 235 C National and intemationallegislation protecting lemurs 237 SPECIES INDEX 239-240 The lUCN Red Data Book PREFACE (1) The Lemur Red Data Book carries on the tradition of careful compilation and sorting of information established in earlier Red Data Books. Its publication now is extremely timely. With a faima and flora substantially and long different from continental Africa, the biota of Madagascar is recognized as one of the top priorities for conservation of biodiversity globally. Over the next decade many resources will be channeled into conservation efforts in Madagascar. The information contained in the Lemur Red Data Book should serve as an invaluable source for those who must make decisions about where specific resources are most needed and can best be used. But perhaps even more important than the information contained in the Red Data Book is the information that it does not contain. There are tremendous gaps in knowledge of the taxonomy, ecology and behavior of most of the lemurs. Our ability to act quickly and wisely to conserve these animals is undeniably limited by this lack of knowledge. Identifying those areas where information is sorely lacking, and moving to upgrade data from these areas, has always been a basic goal of lUCN's conservation effort. I strongly urge that the need to expand the data base be foremost in our minds as we help develop conservation programs in Madagascar and that we make every effort to fill as many of the knowledge gaps as possible in the course of supporting conservation projects and programs. This book could not have been compiled without support from Bristol Zoo, Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund (U.S.) Primate Program, the Madagascar Fauna Captive Propagation Group of AAZPA, Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and the Pare Zoologique et Botanique de la Ville de Mulhouse. They deserve a special thank you for making this volume possible. George Rabb Chairman lUCN Species Survival Commission. Notes on Authors Caroline Harcourt is a primatologist affiliated with the Zoology Department, University of Cambridge, U.K. She specialises in the study of nocturnal prosimians, but now earns her living as a researcher and writer on conservation issues. Jane Thomback has been compiler, and more recently editor, of the lUCN Mammal Red Data Book for fourteen years. Lemurs ofMadagascar and the Comoros PREFACE (2) The Primate Specialist Group of lUCN has long recognised Madagascar as its top priority and is now in the process of preparing an Action Plan for Primate Conservation in Madagascar to guide its activities there over the critical last decade of this century. As should be obvious from the species accounts here, one of the most glaring gaps in our knowledge of lemurs is often the most basic information on geographic distribution and conservation status. In spite of several centuries of observation and collection and more than three decades of research, we still are not clear as to the limits of the distribution of most species and have only the most subjective impressions of conservation status. The striking cases of two new species (Hapalemur aureus