Goodman's mouse lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara ) is a species of mouse lemur from the region near Andasibe in eastern Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Steven M. Goodman. "Lehilahytsara" is a combination of the Malagasy words which mean "good" and "man". The finding was presented August 10, 2005, along with the discovery of the northern giant mouse lemur (Mirza zaza ) as a separate species.
In 2005, Goodman was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for his discovery and further research in Madagascar.
Goodman's mouse lemur is a small primate found in Madagascar. It is mainly maroon in color with a white underbelly and orange tint on the back. This species is named in honor of primatologist Steven M. Goodman and its scientific name 'Lehilahytsara' is a combination of the Malagasy words which mean 'good' and 'man'.
Goodman's mouse lemurs inhabit rainforests in the region near the town Andasibe in eastern Madagascar.
Goodman's mouse lemurs are arboreal and nocturnal. They are generally solitary and spend most of their time alone. They are usually only found in pairs during reproduction and when altercations, mainly for food. Although females tend to be smaller than males when fighting over food, females often come out as the winners; this is because females are more dominant than males. Because females are more dominant, males tend to have a greater foraging area. In some cases, the male's feeding area can be up to four times the size of the female's feeding area. Goodman's mouse lemurs often gather in groups of 2 to 4 individuals of the same sex to sleep. This is likely to conserve heat. Most often in a group of females, those that share a sleeping space are related, however, groups of males do not show much if any relation with those they sleep with. Goodman's mouse lemurs undergo daily torpor and winter torpor. Their tails are able to store fat which is useful in preparing for winter torpor. Although almost all females experience torpor each winter, not all males go into winter torpor annually. For those males that do enter winter torpor, they exit torpor on average 20 days prior to females. The males that do not go into winter torpor are often older males that are better able to compete against younger males in procuring a mate; although, they often still undergo daily torpor.
Goodman's mouse lemurs are omnivores. They feed on insects, small vertebrates, fruits, flowers, nectar, gum, and leaves.
The mating season for Goodman's mouse lemurs occurs in spring almost immediately after the ending of female winter torpor. Females may reproduce from 2 to 4 times per year and the gestation period lasts between 2 and 3 months. The young are born blind, helpless, and require parental care. Like other mouse lemurs, they reach reproductive maturity at about one year of age.
Goodman's mouse lemurs are threatened by the loss of their native habitat which occurs mainly due to agriculture, logging, and mining. They are also often hunted by local people.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of Goodman's mouse lemur total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
