Lepilemur wrightae

5.

Wright's Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur wrightae

French: Lépilémur de Wright / German: Wright-Wieselmaki / Spanish: Lémur saltador de Wright

Other common names: Kalambatritra Sportive Lemur

Taxonomy. Lepilemur wrighti Louis et al., 2006,

Madagascar, province of Toliary, Kalambatritra Special Reserve, Befarara (c.23° 25° 8, 46° 27E).

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. SE Madagascar, known from Kalambatritra Special Reserve, W of the Ionaivo River, E of the Mangoky River, and N of the Mandrare River. Further studies are needed to determine the limits ofits distribution.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 24-26 cm, tail 25-26 cm; weight 1-1 kg. The largest known sportive lemur species and notable forits sexual dimorphism, so far unique in the genus. The dorsum of both sexes is a diffuse, reddish-brown and gray color, and the underside is a lighter grayish-brown. The head of the female is a sharply contrasting uniform gray, whereas the head and upper body of the male are similarly colored. Some females may have a slight color change around the face, giving a mask-like appearance. The ears in both males and females have minimalto short fur and are lighter in color than the head.

Habitat. Rainforest.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but it is presumably largely folivorous.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal and arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. This species has not been studied in the wild, but it is known to use latrines, possibly in the context of resource defense.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. However, at the IUCN/SSC Lemur Red-Listing Workshop held in July 2012, L. wrightae was assessed as endangered. The only protected area in which Wright's Sportive Lemur is known to occur is the Kalambatritra Special Reserve, where it is found at relatively high densities of 72 ind/km?*—the highest density recorded for any sportive lemur species in eastern rainforest. Nevertheless, its distribution is severely fragmented and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat.

Bibliography. Irwin et al. (2004), Louis, Engberg et al. (2006), Lei et al. (2008), Mittermeier et al. (2010).