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Go on - Fall Off! (44)
Jamesp
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (16522) | I took this shot of a female Crowned Lemur in northern Madagascar at Ankarana Reserve, where I had gone to see the Tsingy (highly eroded limestone – similar to Ha-Long Bay, but smaller - SEE WORKSHOP). After trekking through the forest for about an hour we came to a viewpoint. It was necessary to balance on a loose rock on top of one of the pinnacles to get a good view. It was quite unstable – one of those where your legs turn to jelly – the fall was about 30feet onto jagged limestone. A few minutes after we arrived, a troop of Crowned Lemurs turned up – this is the dominant female. They seemed very interested and I am sure she just wanted to see me fall!
The crowned lemur is a medium-sized lemur with a distinctive chestnut-orange "crown" pattern on its head. This is the smallest species belonging to the genus Eulemur. The crowned lemur and some closely related species have extraordinarily marked colour differences. Males are overall a chestnut brown colour, with grey-brown upperparts and paler under parts whereas the female's body is grey, with creamy-white under parts. Its name, the crowned lemur, describes the conspicuous marking above the brow line and by the sides of the eyes. Both males and females bear these crowns, and in males it is a bold chestnut orange colour, with a grey-black patch on top of the head. The crown seen on females of this species is a smaller, chestnut brown V-shape. Both males and females of this species have beady bright orange eyes and a long, thick tail.
Its head and body length is about 33 cm (13"), and it weighs about 2 kg (4.4 lb). The crowned lemur is found in practically all types of forests, including dry forests and moist forests. It has also been found in deforested zones. During both the wet and the dry seasons, fruit forms the bulk of this lemur’s diet. In the dry season, flowers and young leaves are also taken, together with the occasional invertebrate.
The crowned lemur is mostly diurnal, although it usually has a night time activity period lasting up to two hours. It travels in all levels of the forest but seems to prefer the canopy level. However, it often forages in scrubby bushes and short trees and routinely descends to the ground to eat fallen fruit or to travel. In dry areas, it may enter deeply into caves in search of water. This lemur is found in groups that include adults of both sexes, together with infants and juveniles. The groups range in size from five to up to 15 animals, with groups of 5 - 6 being the norm. Although there is usually significant overlap between the home ranges of neighbouring groups, interactions between groups of crowned lemurs are rare.
Currently, the crowned lemur occurs in the northern forests of Madagascar, from the Ankarana Massif in the west to the Fanambana River in the east. The area of suitable habitat remaining is probably less than 1300 square kilometres (500 sq mi). Throughout much of its range, it is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of its habitat. Forest is being cleared and burned to make way for agriculture, and illegal logging also occurs on the periphery of several key reserves. In some areas crowned lemurs are also hunted for food or kept as pets. |
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