Perrier's sifaka
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Superfamily
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Propithecus perrieri
Weight
3.7-6
8.1-13.2
kglbs
kg lbs 
Length
49
19
cminch
cm inch 

Perrier's sifaka (Propithecus perrieri ) is a lemur endemic to Madagascar. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of diademed sifakaIt has a very small range in northeastern Madagascar where its habitat is dry deciduous or semihumid forest. Part of its range is in protected areas. It is an almost entirely black sifaka and measures about 90 cm (35 in), half of which is a bushy tail. Females are slightly larger than males.

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It moves in small family groups through the canopy feeding on fruit, leaves, flowers, buds, and seeds. Groups have territories around one hectare and vocalise with each other. The main threats faced by this sifaka are habitat destruction and fragmentation due to slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal gathering, and logging. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "critically endangered".

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Di

Diurnal

Fo

Folivore

Fr

Frugivore

He

Herbivore

Ar

Arboreal

Is

Island endemic

Sc

Scansorial

Te

Terrestrial

Te

Territorial

So

Social

No

Not a migrant

P

starts with

Appearance

It has a length of 85 to 92 cm, of which 42–46 cm are tail. Its pelage is almost entirely black, covering everywhere on its body except for the face and ears. It has small, forward-facing eyes. The species has masses ranging from 3.7 to 6.0 kg. Minimal sexual dimorphism is seen, but females are slightly larger in weight on average.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

Perrier's sifaka has a very limited range in northeastern Madagascar between the Irodo River to the north and the Lokia River to the south. The species' geographic range is concentrated on the Analamerana Special Reserve managed by Madagascar National Parks and in the Andrafiamena Protected Area managed by the NGO Fanamby. Its presence in the Ankarana National Park has been reported a few decades ago, but could not be confirmed in the last decade.

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Its habitat consists of dry deciduous and semihumid forest. Groups of this species have a home range around a hectare.

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Perrier's sifaka habitat map

Climate zones

Perrier's sifaka habitat map

Habits and Lifestyle

Perrier's sifakas use vocalizations to communicate including warning calls and have even been observed to make a sound described as sneezing.

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The reproductive cycle is bound to the season and sifakas reproduce either every year or every two years. Infants have a slow growth rate given the large abundance of food on Madagascar, but dental development is just the opposite. A hypothesis has been put forth that this is to reduce the dependency period of the offspring and increase the chance of survival for the mother, which does not have to expend energy and time to raise her offspring. Most females do not place much effort into individual offspring, as half of sifaka infants die before the age of one. Infants become independent at the age of two and reach sexual maturity at the age of four for females and five for males. Males use genital swelling to communicate that they are ready for sex.

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Social Structure

Sifakas have groups of two to six individuals. Dispersal of sex is unbiased, which is uncommon among most species. Aggression between groups is extremely low, as is the overall encounter rates between groups. Society is largely matriarchal and females have feeding priority. Mating habits have not been thoroughly studied yet.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

The diet of Perrier's sifaka resembles that of other sifakas, consisting of fruit, leaves, flowers, buds, petioles, andseeds. Sifakas are naturally suited for this herbivorous diet because they have long gastrointestinal tracts and enlarged ceca. Groups of sifaka do not show any aggression towards other groups when feeding, let alone come into contact with each other.Sifakas in general show seasonal variation in diet. During the wet season, Perrier's sifakas contribute most of their feeding time, about 70 to 90%, to fruits and seeds, but in the dry season, most of the species' feeding time is spent on leaves and flowers.

Mating Habits

PREGNANCY DURATION
5 to 6 months
BABY CARRYING
4.36
INDEPENDENT AGE
2 years

Population

Population number

Perrier's sifaka is one of the most endangered primates due to the limited distribution and low population density. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. A recent conservation plan for Perrier's sifaka has been developed following the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (SSC) Lemur Red List reassessment meeting in Antananarivo in 2012. While selective logging still seems to be one of the main threads in Analamerana special reserve, deforestation for slash and burn agriculture and for charcoal production is predominant in Andrafiamena-Andavakoera protected area. Given the small total population size, persistence of local threats, and the paucity of wildlife patrols, an appraisal of its population levels and an effective control of habitat loss are urgently needed. This requires a unified regional management plan, since the species’ natural range and potential areas of migration/seasonal presence overlap with three areas of different protective status, independently managed by Madagascar National Parks (Analamerana and Ankarana) and Fanamby (Andrafiamena). Given the diverse group of stakeholders involved (e.g. park services, ministries, universities, tour operators, local businesses, farmers, etc.), P. perrieri conservation requires a clearly defined institution, committed to leading its conservation plan with incentives for inclusive action that take advantage of the strengths of the different participants.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Perrier's sifaka Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrier's_sifaka
2. Perrier's sifaka on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18361/115573556

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