Black lemur

Black lemur
Male
Female
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Lemuridae
Genus: Eulemur
Species:
E. macaco
Binomial name
Eulemur macaco
Distribution of E. macaco[1]
Synonyms
  • Lemur leucomystax Bartlett, 1863
  • Lemur macaco Linnaeus, 1766
  • Lemur macaco niger Schreber, 1775

The black lemur (Eulemur macaco) is a species of lemur from the family Lemuridae. Like all lemurs, it is endemic to Madagascar. Originally, the species was thought to have two subspecies,[4] Eulemur macaco macaco and Eulemur macaco flavifrons, both of which were elevated to species status by Mittermeier et al. in 2008 to Eulemur macaco and Eulemur flavifrons respectively.[4] The most startling difference between the two species is the eye colour; Eulemur flavifrons, the blue-eyed black lemur, has blue eyes, while Eulemur macaco, the black lemur, has brown or orange eyes, and also has ear tufts.[5][6]

Both species live in northwest Madagascar. The black lemur occurs in moist forests in the Sambirano region of Madagascar and on nearby islands.[5] The blue-eyed black lemur is restricted to the Sahamalaza Peninsula and adjacent forests.[5] There are reports of the two species hybridizing where their ranges overlap in Manongarivo Special Reserve.[7]

  1. ^ a b Andriantsimanarilafy, R.R.; Borgerson, C.; Clarke, T.; Colquhoun, I.C.; Cotton, A.; Donati, G.; Eppley, T.M.; Heriniaina, R.; Irwin, M.; Johnson, S.; Mittermeier, R.A.; Patel, E.; Ralainasolo, F.B.; Randrianasolo, H.; Randriatahina, G.; Ratsimbazafy, J.; Ravaloharimanitra, M.; Razafindramanana, J.; Schwitzer, C.; Stone, E.; Volampeno, S.; Wright, P. (2020). "Eulemur macaco". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T8212A182235113. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T8212A182235113.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. ^ 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. 115. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ a b Mittermeier, R. A.; et al. (2008). "Lemur Diversity in Madagascar" (PDF). International Journal of Primatology. 29 (6): 1607–1656. doi:10.1007/s10764-008-9317-y. hdl:10161/6237. S2CID 17614597.
  5. ^ a b c Nick Garbutt (2007). Mammals of Madagascar. pp. 166–170. ISBN 978-0-300-12550-4.
  6. ^ Noel Rowe (1996). The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. pp. 41–42. ISBN 0-9648825-0-7.
  7. ^ Russell Mittermeier; et al. (2006). Lemurs of Madagascar (Second ed.). pp. 288–293. ISBN 1-881173-88-7.