Lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur
The lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus minusculus), or large iron-gray dwarf lemur, is a small nocturnal lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is nocturnal and an arboreal quadruped, and is not very agile. It produces three types of vocalisation: a squeak, which is high in pitch and is produced with the mouth closed, and is used between infants and their mothers; a whistle, which is higher in pitch than the squeak, so it is hard to hear with human ears, and is used as a communicative and possibly territorial call; and a grunt, which is usually given in series and is very powerful, used when an individual is being attacked in its nest.[4]
| Lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Cheirogaleidae |
| Genus: | Cheirogaleus |
| Species: | C. minusculus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cheirogaleus minusculus | |
 | |
| Lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur range[1] | |
This species is only known to exist from one museum specimen from Ambositra, north of Fianarantsoa in east-central Madagascar. As of 2010, no studies in the wild have been conducted of the lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur, and it is unknown whether it still survives in this region. There are no reports of it being kept in captivity.[5]
References
- Andriaholinirina, N.; et al. (2014). "Cheirogaleus minusculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T136800A16111635. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T136800A16111635.en. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- Harcourt, C. (1990). Thornback, J (ed.). Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros: The IUCN Red Data Book (PDF). World Conservation Union. ISBN 978-2-88032-957-0. OCLC 28425691.
- Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 112. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
- Flannery, Sean. "Small Iron-gray Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus minusculus)". www.theprimata.com. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- "Cheirogaleus minusculus Groves, 2000 | Lemurs of Madagascar". lemursofmadagascar.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2017-03-20.