Microcebus griseorufus (Kollman, 1910)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cheirogaleidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 28-65 : 51-52

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Gray-brown Mouse Lemur

Microcebus griseorufus

French: Microcébe gris-roux / German: Graubrauner Mausmaki / Spanish: Lémur ratén gris castano

Other common names: Red-and-gray Mouse Lemur, Reddish-gray Mouse Lemur, Rufous-gray Mouse Lemur

Taxonomy. Microcebus minor griseorufus Kollman, 1910 ,

Madagascar, province of Toliara, north of RS Beza Mahafaly, Forest of Ihazoara (23° 41’ S, 44° 38’ E).

In 1910, M. Kollman described the new subspecies Microcebus minor griseorufus from southern Madagascar. In 1982, I. Tattersall considered it to be a synonym of M. murinus . In a review of the genus by R. Rasoloarison and coworkers in 2000), it was made a full species as M. griseorufus .

Monotypic.

Distribution. S & SW coastal Madagascar, from Lamboharana S to the Toliara (= Tuléar) region, to the Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve (S of the Onilahy River) in the SE, and to Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Berenty Reserve, and Petriky in the extreme S.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 12-13 cm, tail 14-15 cm; weight 40-50 g (varies by season and gender). The Gray-brown Mouse Lemur is a medium-sized species with a relatively robust skull. Its dorsal coat is light gray, split by a cinnamon-colored midline stripe that runs from either the crown or shouldersto the end of the tail. Anterior portion of the ventral coatis light grayish-white, with the posterior portion tending more toward gray. Thetail is largely cinnamon above and beige beneath.

Habitat. Spiny forest and dry thorn scrub from sea level to 250 m. It is also found in gallery forest in the Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve. It is sympatric with the Gray Mouse Lemur ( M. murinus ) at Beza-Mahafaly and in the Mikea Forest, but in Berenty Reserve, it is found in spiny forest patches but not in the immediately adjacent gallery forest that is occupied by the Gray Mouse Lemur .

Food and Feeding. The Gray-brown Mouse Lemur feeds mainly on gums during the dry season, in arid habitats, and during periods of drought. In the wet season and in more humid forests,it feeds on fruits and gums in equal proportions. Flowers and arthropods are also part ofits diet, especially in arid habitats and during the dry season.

Breeding. Estrus is not synchronized. Mating takes place during the rainy season, normally in September—-November. Males have been observed to mate-guard. Gestation in one wild female lasted 52 days. Females usually raise only one litter per year, consisting of only one or two offspring, although up to three young have been reported. Alloparenting has been observed.

Activity patterns. The Gray-brown Mouse Lemuris nocturnal and arboreal. Daily torpor and opportunistic seasonalfattening have been observed when food availability is high.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Young males disperse from their natal group. Females and,less frequently, males associate in same-sex pairs that sometimes combine to form larger sleeping groups. In the dry season, over a dozen individuals have been found sleeping together in a single tree hole. Home-range size varies from 0-33 ha in the dry season to 0-55 ha in the wet season.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Gray-brown Mouse Lemur is relatively common. The most significant threats are deforestation for charcoal and commercial maize production. It is known to occur in Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve, and Berenty Reserve. It may also be present in two other national parks (Isalo and Zombitse-Vohibasia), but this has not been confirmed.

Bibliography. Bohr et al. (2011), Ganzhorn & Randriamanalina (2004), Génin (2008), Goodman, Langrand & Raxworthy (1993a, 1993b), Goodman, Raherilalao et al. (2002), Groves (2001), Mittermeier et al. (2010), Rasoazanabary (2006), Rasoloarison et al. (2000), Yoder et al. (2002).

Figures

1. Gray Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus), 2. Gray-brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus griseorufus), 3. Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus berthae), 4. Peters’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus myoxinus), 5. Golden-brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis), 6. Bongolava Mouse Lemur (Microcebus bongolavensis), 7. Ambarijeby Mouse Lemur (Microcebus danfossi), 8. Margot Marsh’s Mouse Lemur (Mucrocebus margotmarshae), 9. Sambirano Mouse Lemur (Microcebus sambiranensis), 10. Nosy Be Mouse Lemur (Microcebus mamaratra), 11. Tavaratra Mouse Lemur (Microcebus tavaratra), 12. Montagne d’Ambre Mouse Lemur (Microcebus arnholdi), 13. Rufous Mouse Lemur (Mucrocebus rufus), 14. Jolly’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus jollyae), 15. Gerp’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus gerpi), 16. Goodman’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara), 17. Simmons’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus simmonsi), 18. Anjiahely Mouse Lemur (Mucrocebus macarthuri), 19. Mittermeier’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus mittermeieri)

Distribution. S & SW coastal Madagascar, from Lamboharana S to the Toliara (= Tuléar) region, to the Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve (S of the Onilahy River) in the SE, and to Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Berenty Reserve, and Petriky in the extreme S.