Lemurs of Madagascar
Madagascar is world-famous for its lemurs—primates that look something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog. These animals are unique to the island and display a range of interesting behaviors from singing like a whale (the indri) to sashaying across the sand like a ballet dancer (the sifaka). Below you will learn more about these fascinating creatures.
Lemur history
Madagascar lacks the dominant form of primate distributed worldwide, those of the suborder Haplorhini (monkeys, chimps, gorillas, and Homo sapiens). Instead, their niche has been filled by an older group of primates, the lemurs. Lemurs belong to the sub-order Strepsirhini together with bushbabies, lorises, and pottos which—like the original lemurs—are nocturnal, insectivorous primates characterized by a small body, a long nose, and large eyes. Lemurs have an interesting evolutionary history and the only reason they still exist today is because of Madagascar's isolation.
Until around 160 million years ago, Madagascar was attached to the African mainland as part of the super continent Gondwanaland (formed of Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Madagascar). As Gondwanaland broke apart, Madgascar moved away from Africa. The first lemur-like primates on the fossil record appeared roughly 60 million years ago in mainland Africa and crossed over to Madagascar shortly thereafter.
The island continued to drift eastward and by the time monkeys appeared on the scene 17-23 million years ago, Madagascar was isolated from their arrival. As highly intelligent and adaptive primates, monkeys quickly drove the lemur lineage elsewhere in the world toward extinction (a few Strepsirhines—including bushbabies, lorises, and pottos—managed to hang on by retaining their nocturnal, solitary, and insectivorous traits).
Madagascar's lemurs—isolated from evolutionary changes of the world—radiated into the large island's many niches without much competition or predation. Today lemurs are found in virtually all of Madagascar's ecosystems and share some of the social and behavioral characteristics of monkeys (i.e., forming social groups, eating fruit and vegetation, and being active during the day).
Upper primates did not reach Madagascar until about they learned to navigate the high seas and arrived on boats roughly 2,000 years ago. Humans quickly went to work on the island's lemurs, reducing the number of species found in Madagascar by at least 15. The largest species suffered the most and today the largest remaining lemur is the Indri which would have been dwarfed by the gorilla-sized species once found on the island. Currently nearly all lemurs are endangered species, due mainly to habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting.
Lemurs today
Today Madagascar is home to over 110 species of lemurs across five families and 14 genera ranging in size from the 25-gram pygmy mouse lemur to the indri. All these species are endemic to Madagascar (two lemur species were introduced to the Comoros) giving the country the highest number of primate species (Brazil, which has 77 species but only two endemic genera and no endemic families, is second). And new species are still being discovered— between 2000 and 2008, 39 new species were described.
Global importance of Madagascar's lemurs
According to Russell Mittermeier in The Eighth Continent, although Madagascar "is only one of 92 countries with wild primate populations, it is alone responsible for 21 percent (14 of 65) of all primate genera and 36 percent (five of 14) of all primate families, making it the single highest priority" for primate conservation. "Madagascar is so important for primates that primatologists divide the world into four major regions: the whole of South and Central America, all of southern and southeast Asia, mainland Africa, and Madagascar, which ranks as a full-fledged region all by itself."
Behavior
Non-scientists generally group lemurs by their primary time of activity: day or night. Nocturnal lemurs are typically smaller and more reclusive than their diurnal counterparts. Lemurs are vocal animals, making sounds that range from the grunts and swears of brown lemurs and sifaka to the chirps of mouse lemurs to the eerie, wailing call of the indri, which has been likened to a cross between a police siren and the song of a humpback whale.
Lemur photos
Lemur News
What have we learned from 15 years of REDD+ policy research? (analysis)
- The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation program (REDD+) is supposed to provide participating countries, jurisdictions and communities in the Global South with incentives to protect their forests.
- This analysis draws on more than a decade of comparative research and identifies a broad array of actors involved in REDD+, with large power differences between them. The authors argue that the power imbalances among these groups are obstructing progress toward shifting away from “business-as-usual” deforestation in the tropics.
- The ambition for sustainable forest “transformation” is at risk of being co-opted by those who stand to benefit from maintaining the status quo, and the authors say it is therefore important for the research community to keep asking what proposed reforms and changes may represent, and whom they serve.
- This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
New species of parrot snake described in Brazil’s threatened Cerrado
A new species of parrot snake lay undetected for nearly nine years in a scientific collection in Brazil. It closely resembled related species with bright green and yellow tones. But one detail set it apart: a bold black stripe running across its snout, like a mustache. When scientists took a closer look, they suspected it […]
Mangroves at risk as El Salvador begins work on new airport
- Officials broke ground last week on the Airport of the Pacific near the coastal town of La Unión, in eastern El Salvador, where mangrove ecosystems support wildlife and prevent coastal erosion.
- While the project could bring thousands of jobs to an undeveloped part of the country, it could also lead to massive development where coastal habitats currently protect drinking water for local communities.
- The airport is part of President Nayib Bukele’s plan to invest over a billion dollars into the eastern side of the country.
Forest biomass growth to soar through 2030, impacting tropical forests
- The forest biomass industry — cutting forests to make wood pellets to be burned in power plants — will continue booming through 2030, says a new report. By then, pellets made in the U.S., Canada, EU and Russia could top 31 million metric tons annually, with those made in tropical nations surging to over 11 million tons yearly.
- The U.K. and EU are forecast to go on burning huge amounts of pellets (more than 18 million metric tons each year by 2030). But Asia will burn even more (27 million tons), with Japan and South Korea expanding use, as Taiwan enters the market.
- Scientists warn that forest biomass burning is unsustainable and produces more CO2 emissions than coal per unit of energy generated. Pellet-making is contributing to deforestation and biodiversity loss in North America, and will increasingly do so in tropical nations, including Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia.
- Forest advocates continue campaigning against biomass for energy, achieving some hard-won victories. Enviva, the world’s largest biomass producer, went bankrupt in 2024, while South Korea and Japan have taken first steps to reduce subsidies for wood pellets. But the U.K. continues offering millions in subsidies to biomass power plants.
Yaku Raymi: The Quechua Ritual to Save a Glacier
SANTA FE, Peru — What happens when a glacier dies? In the community of Santa Fe, in Peru, water is disappearing, animals are dying due to a lack of pasture and rainfall has become sporadic. The community members know that climate change is affecting the apu, or mountain god, but they say that transforming a […]
Ugandan researcher wins ‘Emerging Conservationist’ award for work on golden cats
- Ugandan conservationist Mwezi Badru Mugerwa has been awarded the Indianapolis Prize’s Emerging Conservationist Award for 2025.
- Mugerwa has dedicated the past 15 years working with local communities to stop the poaching of the African golden cat (Caracal aurata), a species endemic to West and Central Africa.
- He and his team at conservation organization Embaka are also using camera traps and artificial intelligence tools to monitor and survey the population of the species, and to gauge the impact of their work.
New setbacks for Peruvian Amazon reserve put uncontacted tribes at risk
- Since 2003, Indigenous organizations have been calling for the establishment of Yavarí Mirim, an extensive reserve for hundreds of isolated Indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon.
- The reserve is heavily disputed by extractive industries for its logging and oil and gas drilling potential.
- Experts are concerned that a recent delay will endanger Indigenous groups, as their territory is increasingly encroached on by loggers and illegal drug traffickers.
In the drylands of northern Kenya, a ‘summer school’ for young researchers
- In northern Kenya’s Isiolo county, young researchers who study pastoralism gathered for a week of training and lectures.
- Most of the researchers were from East Africa; many were themselves raised in pastoralist communities.
- Isiolo county, a semiarid rangeland where most people make their living herding livestock, has been hit hard by drought in recent years.
- The researchers said they wanted to change the “old narrative” about pastoralist communities and their relationship to the environment.
Facing possible eviction, North Sumatra farmers contest palm oil giant
JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian palm oil company suspended evictions of several hundred farmers from the northern Sumatra subdistrict of Aek Kuo following an eleventh-hour court reprieve. On Feb. 20, a local court issued an eviction order authorizing PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART) to establish an oil palm plantation on 83.5 […]
Indonesian court blocks palm oil expansion, but leaves Indigenous land rights in limbo
- Indonesia’s Supreme Court has upheld the government’s decision to block further expansion of the Tanah Merah oil palm project in Papua, preserving a Jakarta-sized swath of primary rainforest.
- The ruling strengthens the forestry ministry’s authority to halt deforestation and was influenced by testimonies from the Indigenous Awyu tribe, who rely on the forest for survival.
- While the decision prevents further clearing, it doesn’t grant Indigenous land rights to the Awyu, leaving the tribe vulnerable to future displacement.
- Other companies are vying for control over concessions within the Tanah Merah project, fueling further conflicts and prompting Indigenous groups to seek formal land rights recognition.
‘Without us, no scrutiny’: Indonesia’s independent media count cost of US funding cuts
- U.S. funding cuts abruptly ended reporting initiatives on environmental issues in Indonesia, affecting independent journalism outlets like Remotivi, New Naratif and Project Multatuli.
- The loss of nearly $270 million in global journalism support leaves independent media scrambling to cover environmental and human rights issues.
- Shrinking newsroom budgets and government restrictions have already weakened investigative journalism in Indonesia, now worsened by the U.S. aid cuts.
- Facing uncertainty, media groups are pushing to diversify revenue streams and reduce reliance on foreign grants to sustain independent reporting.
Liberia to start industrial shrimp fishing, worrying artisanal fishers
- Liberia plans to expand industrial bottom trawling in the country by authorizing a new fishery for high-value shrimp.
- However, the government has released few details about the plan, including how much shrimp it will allow the new fishery to exploit, when the trawling would begin, or how it would be regulated.
- The country’s umbrella organization for artisanal fishers casts the move as a threat to the livelihoods, safety and food security of Liberia’s more than 57,000 artisanal fishers, as well as to the country’s marine life.
‘Misguided & lazy’ staff cuts at NOAA will hurt global science, experts warn
The Trump administration recently fired roughly 800 probationary employees from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Former NOAA workers warn that these cuts will have global repercussions, affecting nations and industries that rely on NOAA’s freely available data. NOAA collects and shares data, from the depths of the ocean to outer space and […]
Researchers track Florida’s crocodiles to increase acceptance amid urbanization
Researchers in Florida, U.S., have attached satellite transmitter tags on 15 crocodiles to learn more about their movement patterns in urbanized areas. Through the multi-year study, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), aims to better understand the behavior of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) to help minimize human-wildlife conflict. Native to south Florida and […]
Clash of worlds for the Amazon’s Cinta Larga: Interview with author Alex Cuadros
- Journalist Alex Cuadros’s latest book, “When We Sold God’s Eye: Diamonds, Murder, and a Clash of Worlds in the Amazon” tells the story of how an Indigenous group in Brazil was forced to reckon with Western culture.
- In an interview with Mongabay, Cuadros says the Cinta Larga group were introduced to Western tools and concepts by the Brazilian state, ultimately eroding part of their lifestyle.
- In a short period of time, the group began to experience money, violence, illegal logging, and mining, while some members of the Cinta Larga profited from these activities.
- “When prospectors started moving into their territory, the Cinta Larga sought them out because they were curious and wanted metal tools,” Cuadros said when explaining the complex relationship with invaders and the “outside” world.
Indigenous leaders optimistic after resumed U.N. biodiversity conference in Rome
- With nature finance always difficult to raise and sustain, Indigenous peoples and local communities may be the recipients of the most tangible progress to emerge from the resumed U.N. biodiversity conference, or COP16, in Rome in late February.
- In perhaps the most significant development from COP16, the creation of the Cali Fund and its launch last month could provide a steady flow of funds to communities worth hundreds of millions annually for programs and projects of their choosing.
- The Cali Fund aims to collect a small percentage of profits or revenue from corporations around the world that use digital sequence information (DSI) from nature’s genetics to develop commercial products.
- Indigenous peoples have been on a “path to unprecedented progress” after the first talks in Cali adopted a new program of work on traditional knowledge and their direct participation in negotiations, say sources.
COP16 biodiversity summit in Rome OKs finance pathway; big obstacles loom
- When the COP16 U.N. biodiversity summit ended without a final agreement in October 2024 in Cali, Colombia, negotiators agreed to meet in Rome, Italy, in February. There, the parties mapped a sweeping permanent plan on how to raise $200 billion annually by 2030 to reverse global species extinctions and conserve life on Earth.
- In Rome, the parties approved mechanisms for raising, tracking and reporting on that huge sum, with funding potentially coming from nations, philanthropies, banks and even corporations. The Achilles’ heel of this agreement is that no funding commitment made by any party now or in the future is legally binding.
- Even as participants celebrated this funding strategy breakthrough, two major powers dealt blows to finance targets. The U.S. under President Donald Trump abandoned USAID conservation financial commitments abroad, while the U.K. announced a shift in priorities away from climate and biodiversity foreign aid to military spending.
- The final Rome agreement also reduced the likelihood that trillions of dollars paid out by the world’s nations in “perverse subsidies” to industries that do the greatest harm to life on Earth would be redirected in a timely way to global biodiversity goals.
Feral horses find a home in India’s protected areas
Truly wild horses are rare today. But in India, small populations of feral horses, believed to be descendants of domestic horses, have made the wild their home. One such population can still be spotted in Dibru Saikhowa National Park in the northeastern state of Assam. According to a November 2024 Mongabay India report by contributor […]
‘Degrowth’ gains a foothold in Barcelona and support internationally
With the purchasing power of middle and working-class citizens shrinking as billionaires hoard ever more wealth, many people are searching for a new economic reality in line with their ecological values and planetary boundaries. “People are really hungry for solutions [and] really hungry to find alternatives,” says Alvaro Alvarez, a journalist and filmmaker of the […]
Agroforestry stores less carbon than reforestation, but has many other benefits, study finds
- New research finds that a reforestation and agroforestry project on Indigenous land in Panama missed its carbon sequestration goal, but returned better-than-average results and had many other benefits.
- The study found that tree planting had higher carbon storage, but agroforestry brought benefits to the local community in terms of extra income and food security.
- Fire was the biggest reason why the carbon goal was missed, which is an increasingly common challenge for carbon projects worldwide due to climate change.
- Researchers say project funders need to work closely with local communities to align goals around carbon storage and livelihoods.
In a seasonally flooded Amazon forest, jaguars take to the trees
- A recent study has confirmed that Amazon jaguars have developed a fascinating strategy to face seasonal river flooding: when the waters rise and flood the forests, these felines begin to live up in the trees.
- The finding, made in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in Brazil’s western Amazon, surprised researchers who initially thought the animals would migrate to dry lands in search of prey.
- The research monitored 14 jaguars fitted with GPS collars between 2011 and 2020; the data showed the home range of these animals during floods remained virtually unchanged from during the dry season.
- While this adaptation is unique to Amazon jaguars, experts warn that variation in rain and flood cycles, aggravated by climate change, may pose yet another threat to this already near-threatened species.
Gaza and West Bank farmers salvage olive harvest amid displacement, destruction and Israeli settler violence
- The recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire prompted Gazan farmers to salvage what remained of their 2024 olive harvest two months late.
- However, Israeli settlers tripled their attacks on West Bank olive farmers during the 2024 harvest, destroying 3,100 trees and injuring dozens. Restricted access to their land cost Palestinian farmers 1,365 tons of oil, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.
- Despite violence and restrictions, the West Bank produced 27,300 tons of olive oil — far exceeding forecasts.
- Israeli settlers have degraded Palestinian agricultural areas through arson, wastewater pollution and trash dumping as the Israeli state exploits Ottoman-era laws to seize land.
91% of Brazilian Amazon deforestation last year was illegal, report finds
Nearly all deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon in the past year was illegal, a new report finds. Between August 2023 and July 2024, 91% of forest clearing in the Amazon lacked authorization, according to an analysis by the NGO Center of Life Institute (ICV). In the Cerrado, an expanding agricultural frontier and the world’s most […]
Thousands affected as cyclone floods Réunion Island in Indian Ocean
At least four people were killed and hundreds of thousands were left without water or electricity as Cyclone Garance flooded parts of the island of Réunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, late last week, reports say. The cyclone made landfall on Feb. 28 on the northern side of the island, which lies east […]
From Kenya to Madagascar, massive effort aims to put seagrasses on the map
In 2019, scientists set out to map the extent of seagrass in Seychelles, an island nation off the eastern coast of Africa. There, they hit upon a startling number: More than 90% of the country’s “blue carbon,” or the carbon stored in marine ecosystems, is contained within seagrass meadows. Under the Large-scale Seagrass Mapping and […]
Sweden to kill 87 Eurasian lynx despite complaints to EU Commission
Sweden has issued licenses to hunters to kill 87 Eurasian lynx between March 1 and Apr. 15. Conservation organizations say the annual hunts of the medium-sized wildcat violate environmental legislation of the European Union, of which Sweden is a part. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is categorized as vulnerable on Sweden’s red list, but the […]
Study finds signs of tuna abundance outside marine protected areas
- Experts debate the degree to which marine protected areas (MPAs) that are closed to industrial fishing boost fish population abundance or fishing success outside their borders.
- A recent study indicates that large-scale no-fishing MPAs do provide “spillover” benefits: It showed purse seiner vessels caught more tuna per unit of fishing effort in the 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) surrounding large MPAs than they would have if the MPAs did not exist.
- Such findings could strengthen the case for establishing large MPAs, which could be on the table once international agreements, including the High Seas Treaty, are rolled out in coming years.
- Some fisheries scientists argue that MPAs are not a good method of fisheries management; one critiqued the recent study.
Global South’s urban poor burn plastic as fuel, researchers say
Plastic is increasingly being used for fuel by much of the world’s urban poor, to the detriment of the health of local people and their environment, researchers argue in a new commentary. As of 2021, roughly 56% of the world lives in an urban area. At the same time, nearly half a billion tons of […]
Pastoralists know every landscape has a history: Interview with Gufu Oba
- Pastoralism, the practice of moving livestock like cattle across landscapes to forage, provides a livelihood for between 200 million and 300 million people globally.
- In East Africa, pastoralists are being pressured by climate disruptions, infrastructure projects, land-use changes, and in some cases wildlife conservation projects.
- Gufu Oba, professor emeritus from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, tells Mongabay that pastoralists are an integral part of the world’s rangelands, and their knowledge is crucial to protecting those landscapes.
Illegal sea fence displaces fishers and sparks land scandal near Jakarta
- A property developer installed 30 kilometers (19 miles) of bamboo fencing in the sea near Jakarta, blocking fishers’ access; an investigation revealed it encompassed 280 ocean plots for which title deeds had been illegally issued.
- The fence has forced many fishers to stop working, while coastal farmers have lost their land to the same luxury development; residents also face eviction with no clear alternatives.
- Authorities have sanctioned a handful of individuals from the public and private sectors and started revoking the illegal deeds, but activists are demanding criminal prosecutions against the companies responsible.
- The case highlights weak oversight of Indonesia’s national strategic projects, raising concerns over environmental destruction, loss of livelihoods, and government favoritism toward big developers.
Financing conservation of Central Asia’s endangered mammals on World Wildlife Day and every day (commentary)
- Central Asia’s fragile ecosystems, home to species like snow leopards and saiga antelopes, face growing threats from habitat loss, climate change and hunting, yet conservation remains critically underfunded.
- But financing mechanisms like payment for ecosystem services, ecotourism and even carbon markets could provide much-needed investment, though these require careful regulation and local adaptation.
- Public-private partnerships, standardized biodiversity metrics, and community-led conservation efforts are essential to attract funding, ensure accountability, and secure long-term ecological and economic benefits.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.
UN accuses Indonesia’s No. 2 palm oil firm of rights & environmental abuses
- United Nations special rapporteurs have singled out Indonesia’s second-largest palm oil company, PT Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), for alleged human rights violations and environmental degradation, marking the first time they’ve targeted a specific company rather than the industry as a whole.
- AAL and its subsidiaries are accused of operating without proper permits, seizing Indigenous and farming communities’ lands without consent, and suppressing protests with violence, intimidation and arrests, often with support from police and security forces.
- The Indonesian government has largely backed AAL’s operations, claiming compliance with legal standards, despite evidence that several subsidiaries lack necessary permits and continue operating illegally on disputed lands.
- Major brands like Kellogg’s, Hershey’s and Mondelēz have stopped sourcing palm oil from AAL, while global agribusiness giants like ADM, Bunge and Cargill still source from mills linked to the company, despite the ongoing allegations of rights abuses.
Lemur species counts for selected parks
Protected Area | Species | |
Andringitra | 13 | |
Zahamena | 13 | |
Marojejy | 12 | |
Ranomafana | 12 | |
Andasibe Mantadia | 11 | |
Bemaraha | 11 | |
Marotandrano | 11 | |
Ankarana | 10 | |
Masoala | 10 | |
Kirindy Mitea | 8 | |
Montagne d'Ambre | 8 | |
Namoroka | 8 | |
Zombitse-Vohibasia | 8 | |
Isalo | 7 | |
Kasijy | 7 | |
Manombo | 7 | |
Pic d'Ivohibe | 7 | |
Bay de baly | 6 | |
Bemarivo | 6 | |
Bora | 6 | |
Nosy Mangabe | 6 | |
Tampoketsa-Analamaintso | 3 | |
Tsimanampetsotsa | 3 | |
Ambohijanahary | 2 |
Lemur species
Please note: a number of lemur species have been described since this list was published.
Family | Common name | Scientific name | Local name | Active | Pictures |
Cheirogaleidae | Mouse and Dwarf lemurs | Nocturnal | |||
Cheirogaleidae | Hairy-eared Dwarf Mouse-lemur | Allocebus trichotis | Nocturnal | ||
Cheirogaleidae | Southern Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus adipicaudatus | Matavirambo | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Furry-eared Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus crossleyi | Matavirambo | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Greater Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus major | Matavirambo | Nocturnal | + |
Cheirogaleidae | Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus medius | Matavirambo, Kely Be-ohy, Tsidy, Tsidihy | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Lesser Iron Gray Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus minusculus | Matavirambo | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Greater Iron Gray Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus ravus | Matavirambo | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Sibree's Dwarf Lemur | Cheirogaleus sibreei | Matavirambo | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Gray Mouse-lemur | Microcebus murinus | Tsidy, Koitsiky, Titilivaha, Vakiandri, Pondiky | Nocturnal | + |
Cheirogaleidae | Pygmy Mouse-lemur | Microcebus myoxinus | Tsidy | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Golden Mouse-lemur | Microcebus ravelobensis | Tsidy | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Red Mouse-lemur | Microcebus rufus | Anakatsidina, Tsidy, Tsitsidy, Tistsihy | Nocturnal | + |
Cheirogaleidae | Giant Mouse-lemur or Coquerel's Mouse-lemur | Mirza coquereli | Tsiba, Tilitilivaha, Siba, Setohy, Fitily | Nocturnal | + |
Cheirogaleidae | Amber Mountain Fork-crowned Lemur | Phaner electromontis | Tanta, Tantaraolana | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Masoala Fork-crowned Lemur | Phaner furcifer | Tanta, Tantaraolana | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Western Fork-crowned Lemur | Phaner pallescens | Tanta, Tantaraolana, Vakivoho | Nocturnal | |
Cheirogaleidae | Sambirano Fork-crowned Lemur | Phaner parienti | Tanta, Tantaraolana | Nocturnal | |
Daubentoniidae | Aye-aye | Nocturnal | |||
Daubentoniidae | Aye-aye | Daubentonia madagascariensis | Aye-aye, Ahay, Itay-hay, Aiay | Nocturnal | |
Indridae | Woolly lemurs and allies | Diurnal | |||
Indridae | Eastern Avahi | Avahi laniger | Avahina, Avahy, Ampongy, Fotsifaka | Nocturnal | + |
Indridae | Western Avahi | Avahi occidentalis | Fotsife, Tsarafangitra | Nocturnal | |
Indridae | Indri lemur | Indri indri indri | Babakoto, Amboanala | Diurnal | + |
Indridae | Indri lemur | Indri indri variegatus | Babakoto, Amboanala | Diurnal | + |
Indridae | Coquerel's Sifaka | Propithecus coquereli | Ankomba malandy, Sifaka, Tsibahaka | Diurnal | |
Indridae | Crowned Sifaka | Propithecus deckenii coronatus | Tsibahaka, Sifaka | Diurnal | |
Indridae | Decken's Sifaka | Propithecus deckenii dekenii | Tsibahaka, Sifaka | Diurnal | + |
Indridae | Silky Sifaka | Propithecus diadema candidus | Simpona, Simpony | Diurnal | |
Indridae | Diademed Sifaka | Propithecus diadema diadema | Simpona, Simpony | Diurnal | + |
Indridae | Milne-Edwards's Sifaka | Propithecus edwardsi | Simpona, Simpony | Diurnal | + |
Indridae | Perrier's Sifaka | Propithecus perrieri | Radjako, Ankomba Job | Diurnal | |
Indridae | Tattersall's Sifaka | Propithecus tattersalli | Ankomba malandy, Simpona | Diurnal | |
Indridae | Verreaux's Sifaka | Propithecus verreauxi | Sifaka | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | True lemurs | Diurnal | |||
Lemuridae | White-fronted Lemur | Eulemur albifrons | Varika | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | White-collared Lemur | Eulemur albocollaris | Varika | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Red-collared Lemur | Eulemur collaris | Varika | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Crowned Lemur | Eulemur coronatus | Varika | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Brown Lemur | Eulemur fulvus | Varikamavo, Komba | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Black Lemur | Eulemur macaco | Ankomba, Komba | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Blue-eyed Black Lemur | Eulemur macaco flavifrons | Ankomba, Komba | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Mongoose Lemur | Eulemur mongoz | Komba | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Red-bellied Lemur | Eulemur rubriventer | Varikamena | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Red-fronted Lemur | Eulemur rufus | Varika, Varikamavo | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Sanford's Lemur | Eulemur sanfordi | Ankomba, Beharavoaka | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Alaotran Gentle Lemur | Hapalemur alaotrensis | Bandro | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Golden Gentle Lemur | Hapalemur aureus | Varibolomena, Bokombolomena | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Gray Gentle Lemur | Hapalemur griseus | Varibolomadinika | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Sambriano Gentle Lemur | Hapalemur occidentalis | Bekola, Kofi, Ankomba valiha | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Ring-tailed Lemur | Lemur catta | Maki, Hira | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Broad-nosed Gentle Lemur | Prolemur simus | Varibolomavo, Vari, Varikandra | Diurnal | |
Lemuridae | Red Ruffed Lemur | Varecia rubra | Varimena | Diurnal | + |
Lemuridae | Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur | Varecia variegata | Varijatsy | Diurnal | + |
Megaladapidae | Sportive lemurs | Nocturnal | |||
Megaladapidae | Back-striped Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur dorsalis | Apongy | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Milne-Edwards's Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur edwardsi | Boenga, Boengy, Repahaka | Nocturnal | + |
Megaladapidae | White-footed Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur leucopus | Songiky | Nocturnal | + |
Megaladapidae | Small-toothed Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur microdon | Trangalavaka, Kotrika or Kotreka, Fitiliky, Itataka, Varikosy | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Mitsinjo Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur mitsinjonensis | Kotrika, Varikosy | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Weasel Lemur | Lepilemur mustelinus | Trangalavaka, Kotrika, Fitiliky, Itataka, Varikosy | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Red-tailed Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur ruficaudatus | Boenga, Boengy | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Ankarana Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur septentrionalis ankaranensis | Mahiabeala, Songiky | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Seal's Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur seali | Songiky | Nocturnal | |
Megaladapidae | Northern Sportive Lemur | Lepilemur septentrionalis septentrionalis | Mahiabeala, Songiky | Nocturnal |