Eulemur mongoz (Linnaeus, 1766)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Lemuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 90-141 : 138

19.

Mongoose Lemur

Eulemur mongoz

French: Lémur mongoz / German: Mongozmaki / Spanish: Lémur mangosta

Taxonomy. Lemur mongoz Linnaeus, 1766 ,

Comoros, Anjouan Island.

Some slight pelage variation has been reported in the Comoros population. Females there have a dark gray crown, contrasting more strongly with the forehead than in mainland females. Moreover, a few males have female-like coloration, except that the muzzle is darker and the crown is blacker. There is a small hybrid zone between this species and E. rufusin Madagascar, south of the Betsiboka River. Monotypic.

Distribution. NW Madagascar, restricted to the region of Ambato-Boéni and Ankarafantsika, where the remaining forests are highly fragmented, with the N limit appearing to be near Analalava on the Bay of Narinda, and it is also found S and W of the Betsiboka River at Katsepy and on the shores of Lac Kinkony, on both sides of the Mahavavy River, and in the Tsiombikibo Classified Forest near Mitsinjo. Introduced to the Comoros Is.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 30-35 cm, tail 45-48 cm; weight 1.1-1.3 kg. The Mongoose Lemur is a small, thickly furred species. Sexes are fairly similar in size and appearance. In males, the dorsal coat is gray-brown and darker at the tip of the tail. There is also a darker gray pygal patch, and the back of the neck and shoulders are often a rufous-brown. The ventral coat is a paler creamy-gray. The muzzle is gray, the face grayish-white, and cheeks and the beard are rufous. A triangular bald patch on the top of the head sometimes results from excessive rubbing during scent marking. Females are grayer dorsally than males, with a light gray muzzle and a darker slate-gray forehead and face. The female’s face is surrounded by a white bushy beard that extends to the ears and reaches down the throat and onto the forelimbs. Eyes are reddish-orange in both sexes.

Habitat. Primary and secondary tropical dry deciduous forest and scrub on Madagascar and humid forest on the Comoros Islands. In Madagascar, the Mongoose Lemur is sympatric with the Brown Lemur ( E. fulvus ) north of the Betsiboka River and the Red-fronted Brown Lemur ( E. rufifrons ) south of the river.

Food and Feeding. Fruits, flowers, nectar, young leaves, and leaf petioles constitute the bulk of the diet of the Mongoose Lemur , which may include relatively few species of plants. During the dry season, nectar is a particularly important food item.

Breeding. Adult female Mongoose Lemurs have a 37day reproductive cycle and give birth each year. Breeding is seasonal. A single grayish-brown offspring is born around mid-October, after gestation of 126-128 days. Young begin to move independently of their mother at about one month of age, although they are always careful never to stray far from her protection. Weaning occurs at 6-7 months.

Activity patterns. The Mongoose Lemur is cathemeral and arboreal. Periods of activity are dependent on local conditions; for example, during the cooler wet season, individuals are usually active by day, but during the dry season, they become nocturnal to obtain nectar from the flowers of the night-blooming kapok tree ( Ceiba pentandra, Malvaceae )—a favorite seasonal food source. Mongoose Lemurs have sometimes been observed intermingling with groups of Brown Lemurs during feeding bouts, but they usually keep to themselves and are much more cryptic.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Mongoose Lemur lives in small, cohesive family units consisting of an adult pair with one to four offspring.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. However, at the IUCN/SSC Lemur Red-Listing Workshop held in July 2012, E. mongoz was assessed as critically endangered. The Mongoose Lemur is threatened mainly by habitat loss due to slash-and-burn agriculture, burning to create cattle pasture, charcoal production, and hunting for food. While previously under less threat on Anjouan and Mohéli in the Comoros,it is increasingly seen as a crop pest, and its legal protection seems to be oflittle conservation value. The only protected area in which it occurs is Ankarafantsika National Park. Unprotected populations are found in forests of Anjamena, Antrema (at Katsepy), Mariarano, and Tsiombikibo (near Mitsinjo).

Bibliography. Andriatsarafara (1988), Curtis & Zaramody (1998, 1999), Curtis et al. (1999), Groves (1974), Harrington (1978b), Mittermeier et al. (2010), Mller et al. (2000), Petter (1962, 1965), Petter et al. (1977), Rasmussen (1999), Tattersall (1976a, 1982, 1998), Tattersall & Sussman (1975a), Terranova & Coffman (1995), Zaramody & Pastorini (2001).

Figures

8. Brown (Lemur Fulemurfulvus), 9. Rufous Brown Lemur (Eulemur rufus), 10. Red-fronted Brown Lemur (FEulemur rufifrons), 11. White-fronted Brown Lemur (Eulemur albifrons), 12. Sanford’s Brown Lemur (Fulemur sanfordi), 13. White-collared Brown Lemur (Eulemur cinereiceps), 14. Red-collared Brown Lemur (Eulemur collars), 15. Black Lemur (Eulemur macaco), 16. Blue-eyed Black (Lemur Eulemurflavifrons), 17. Crowned Lemur (Eulemur coronatus), 18. Red-bellied Lemur (Eulemur rubriventer), 19. Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz)

Distribution. NW Madagascar, restricted to the region of Ambato-Boéni and Ankarafantsika, where the remaining forests are highly fragmented, with the N limit appearing to be near Analalava on the Bay of Narinda, and it is also found S and W of the Betsiboka River at Katsepy and on the shores of Lac Kinkony, on both sides of the Mahavavy River, and in the Tsiombikibo Classified Forest near Mitsinjo. Introduced to the Comoros Is.