Tattersall's sifaka , Tattersall's sifaka
The golden-crowned sifaka or Tattersall's sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli ) is a medium-sized lemur characterized by mostly white fur, prominent furry ears, and a golden-orange crown. It is one of the smallest sifakas (genus Propithecus ), weighing around 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) and measuring approximately 90 cm (35 in) from head to tail. Like all sifakas, it is a vertical clinger and leaper, and its diet includes mostly seeds and leaves. The golden-crowned sifaka is named after its discoverer, Ian Tattersall, who first spotted the species in 1974. However, it was not formally described until 1988, after a research team led by Elwyn L. Simons observed and captured some specimens for captive breeding. The golden-crowned sifaka most closely resembles the western forest sifakas of the P. verreauxi group, yet its karyotype suggests a closer relationship with the P. diadema group of eastern forest sifakas. Despite the similarities with both groups, more recent studies of its karyotype support its classification as a distinct species.
Found in gallery, deciduous, and semi-evergreen forest, its restricted range includes 44 forest fragments, totaling an area of 44,125 hectares (109,040 acres; 170.37 sq mi), centered on the town of Daraina in northeast Madagascar. Its estimated population is 18,000 individuals. It is primarily active during the day, although it also tends to be active at dawn and dusk during the rainy season. It sleeps in tall emergent trees and is preyed upon by the fossa. The golden-crowned sifaka lives in groups of around five to six individuals, containing a balanced number of adult males and females. Scent is used to mark territories, which are defended by growling, chasing, and ritualistic leaping displays. Reproduction is seasonal, with gestation lasting six months and lactation lasting five months. Infants are weaned during the wet season to ensure the best chances of survival.
The small range and fragmented populations of this species weigh heavily on its survival. Forest fragmentation, habitat destruction, poaching, slash-and-burn agriculture, and other human factors threaten its existence. The golden-crowned sifaka is listed by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered. Its range was originally not covered by any national parks or protected areas in Madagascar, but a new protected area, Loky-Manambato reserve, was established in 2005 to include a 20,000 ha (49,000 acres; 77 sq mi) portion. Attempts have been made to keep the golden-crowned sifaka in captivity at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina. The small colony was maintained from 1988 to 2008. In Madagascar, lawlessness resulting from the 2009 political coup led to increased poaching of this species, and many were sold to local restaurants as a delicacy.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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JumpingJumping (saltation) can be distinguished from running, galloping, and other gaits where the entire body is temporarily airborne by the relatively l...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withGolden-crowned sifakas are medium-sized lemurs. These animals are named after their discoverer, Ian Tattersall, who first spotted them in 1974. Their coat is moderately long. It is creamy-white with a golden tint, dark black or chocolate-brown on their neck and throat and pale orange on the tops of their legs and forelimbs. Their tail and hindlimbs are white, and the crown is bright orange-gold. The eyes are orange, and the face is black and mostly hairless. Their snout is blunt and rounded, and the broad nose of these animals helps to distinguish them from other sifakas. Golden-crowned sifakas have long, strong legs that enable them to cling and leap between tree trunks and branches.
Golden-crowned sifakas are centered on the town of Daraina in northeast Madagascar. They inhabit dry deciduous, gallery, and semi-evergreen forests.
Golden-crowned sifakas are primarily active during the day, although they also can be active at dawn and dusk during the rainy season. These animals sleep in the taller trees of the forest at night. During the dry season (May-October) they feed and rest higher in the canopy. Golden-crowned sifakas live in groups of around 5-6 individuals, containing a balanced number of adult males and females. Females are dominant within the group, and only one female breeds successfully each season. Males usually roam between the groups during the mating season. Golden-crowned sifakas are territorial and use scent to mark their territories, which are defended by growling, chasing, and ritualistic leaping displays. When stressed, they emit grunting vocalizations as well as repeated "churrs" that escalate into a high-amplitude "whinney." Their ground predator alarm call, sounds like "shē-fäk". The animals also emit mobbing alarm calls in response to birds of prey.
Golden-crowned sifakas are herbivores (folivores, frugivores). They feed on a wide variety of plants, seeds, fruits, flowers, and leaves. They may also consume tree bark during the dry season.
Little is known about the mating system in Golden-crowned sifakas. The breeding season takes place in late January through March. Females give birth to a single baby once every two years. The gestation period lasts around six months. Infants are born with little hair and initially cling to their mother's belly. As they mature, they begin to ride on her back. Infants are weaned at 5 months and become reproductively mature at around 2-3 years of age. Upon reaching sexual maturity, males leave their natal group and transfer to neighboring social groups.
Golden-crowned sifakas face many significant human-caused (anthropogenic) threats. Their habitat has been highly fragmented. By 1985 it was estimated that 34% of the entire eastern rainforest of the island had disappeared, and it is predicted that at this rate of deforestation there will be no eastern rainforest left by 2020. Illegal logging practices, slash-and-burn agriculture (known as tavy), uncontrolled grass fires, gold mining, poaching, and clearing land for agricultural use have all significantly contributed to the significant deforestation and the ongoing decline of suitable habitat for this species. A newly emergent threat facing Golden-crowned sifakas is hunting by the gold miners. Deep mining pits are often dug near or underneath large trees and disturb the extensive root systems and kill the trees in the area. Although Golden-crowned sifakas are protected from hunting, the gold miners have begun to hunt them as a source of bushmeat. As an example, bushmeat hunting by people from nearby Ambilobe city has already extirpated at least one isolated population of this species.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Golden-crowned sifakas is 6,000-10,000individuals. This species’ numbers are decreasing and it is currently classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
Golden-crowned sifakas benefit the local ecosystem by consuming various seeds and fruits and thus acting as key seed dispersers. These lemurs are also a prey species for numerous predators of their range.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...