Microcebus berthae

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	PRIMATES	CHEIROGALEIDAE

Scientific Name:

Microcebus berthae

Species Authority:

Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000

Common Name/s:

English

–

Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur, Berthe's Mouse Lemur, Berthe’s Mouse Lemur

Taxonomic Notes:

M. berthae is the name given to the diminutive Rufous-colored Mouse Lemur from Kirindy/CFPF, originally called M. myoxinus by Schmid and Kappeler (1994).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(iii) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

Andrainarivo, C., Andriaholinirina, V.N., Feistner, A., Felix, T., Ganzhorn, J., Garbutt, N., Golden, C., Konstant, B., Louis Jr., E., Meyers, D., Mittermeier, R.A., Perieras, A., Princee, F., Rabarivola, J.C., Rakotosamimanana, B., Rasamimanana, H., Ratsimbazafy, J., Raveloarinoro, G., Razafimanantsoa, A., Rumpler, Y., Schwitzer, C., Thalmann, U., Wilmé, L. & Wright, P.

Reviewer/s:

Mittermeier, R.A. & Rylands, A.B. (Primate Red List Authority)

Justification:
Listed as Endangered as the species has a distribution range of less than 5,000 km², the range is severely fragmented and there is continuing decline in the area and quality of habitat within the range of the species.

History:

2003

–

Not Evaluated (IUCN 2003)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is restricted to the Menabe region in the south-west, south of Tsiribihina River, in an area probably no more than 900 km² (Schmid and Kappeler 1994; Schwab and Ganzhorn 2004). It is best known from the Kirindy/CFPF forests and Ambadira, but is believed to occur in the forests of Analabe just a few kilometers to the north-west. It formerly occurred in the Andranomena Special Reserve to the south (Schwab and Ganzhorn 2004), but it is not known whether it still occurs there. Sea-level to 150 m.
Countries:	Native: Madagascar
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Although it appears to be adaptable and abundant where it occurs, its population is believed to be no more than 8,000 potentially breeding individuals (Schwab and Ganzhorn 2004). Densities of 100 individuals/km² have been recorded in patches where it occurs (suggesting high localized densities), but the overall generalized density is about one-third - probably in the order of 30/km².
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species inhabits an area of dry deciduous forest; perhaps occasionally in secondary forest. A solitary forager characterized by extensively overlapping home ranges, the ranges of males being substantially larger than those of females and more prone to seasonal fluctuation. Microcebus berthae is the world's smallest primate.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threat to this species is habitat loss due to illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Major Threat(s):

The major threat to this species is habitat loss due to illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. A 100,000-ha Central Menabe Conservation Site has been proposed, which will include a 30,000-ha strict conservation zone that includes the Kirindy Forest, the Analabe Private Reserve, and the currently unprotected Ambadira forests (Mittermeier et al. 2008). There are no animals reported in captivity at present (ISIS, 2007).

Conservation Actions:

This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. A 100,000-ha Central Menabe Conservation Site has been proposed, which will include a 30,000-ha strict conservation zone that includes the Kirindy Forest, the Analabe Private Reserve, and the currently unprotected Ambadira forests (Mittermeier et al. 2008). There are no animals reported in captivity at present (ISIS, 2007).

Citation:	Andrainarivo, C., Andriaholinirina, V.N., Feistner, A., Felix, T., Ganzhorn, J., Garbutt, N., Golden, C., Konstant, B., Louis Jr., E., Meyers, D., Mittermeier, R.A., Perieras, A., Princee, F., Rabarivola, J.C., Rakotosamimanana, B., Rasamimanana, H., Ratsimbazafy, J., Raveloarinoro, G., Razafimanantsoa, A., Rumpler, Y., Schwitzer, C., Thalmann, U., Wilmé, L. & Wright, P. 2008. Microcebus berthae. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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