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What is the context of this research?

The cryptic and inconspicuous Sahamalaza sportive lemur, Lepilemur sahamalazensis, stands out against the majority of nocturnal lemurs. Hardly anything is known about them except for a three-month long study last year that has uncovered that in comparison to other lemurs, this species seems to be fairly unsocial.



Preliminary home range analysis and behavioral observations indicated that the Sahamalaza sportive lemur lives solitarily. This is something that needs to be investigated further, especially since this species is one of the rarest lemurs in the world. This project will thus be the first long-term study that will look into the sociality of this nocturnal lemur species, with the aim of providing new information to help conservation efforts.



What is the significance of this project?

The Sahamalaza sportive lemur was classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and is one of the rarest lemurs in all of Madagascar today. Populations decline due to deforestation and active hunting, leaving this species fighting for survival. As the efforts to protect the habitat continue, we need to conduct more research on this species to understand its needs.



Researching the social structure and mating system of the Sahamalaza sportive lemur provides us with the means to monitor the remaining populations. It also gives us information that is needed for breeding and re-introduction programs in the future.



This project will forward the scientific research, and with the help of this campaign, hopefully evoke popular interest in a cryptic species that might otherwise be overlooked.



What are the goals of the project?

The overall goal of this project is to determine the social system of the Sahamalaza sportive lemur, through:

Gaining understanding in the composition of Sahamalaza sportive lemur populations

of Sahamalaza sportive lemur populations Determining the seasons that govern behavior: When and how long are pre-mating, mating, gestation and birth season for this species?

that govern behavior: When and how long are pre-mating, mating, gestation and birth season for this species? Looking into the formation of social bonds and territorial behavior

and Determining the mating system

All these topics remain to be studied for the Sahamalaza sportive lemur and I, as part of the Madagascar Programme of the Bristol Zoological Society and working together with the Lemur Conservation Association (AEECL), hope to shed light on this lemur through behavioral observations and by collecting data on home ranges during an upcoming long-term field study.