Lepilemur leucopus

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	LEPILEMURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Lepilemur leucopus

Species Authority:

(Major, 1894)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Dry-bush Weasel Lemur, White-footed Sportive Lemur
Spanish	–	Lemur Comadreja De Pies Blancos

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Data Deficient ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Hoffmann, M.

Reviewer/s:

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

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Data Deficient as, in light of recent taxonomic upheavals in the genus Lepilemur, the precise distribution range of this species has become unclear. If it is indeed confined to the region between the Menarandra River and Andohahela, then it probably will warrant listing in a threatened category given its limited extent of occurrence and known threats.

History:

1994	–	Rare (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Rare (IUCN 1990)
1990	–	Rare (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Insufficiently Known (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986	–	Insufficiently Known (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is found in the Didiereaceae (spiny forests) and gallery forests of southern Madagascar. As here understood, with the description of lemurs west of the Menarandra and Linta Rivers as L. petteri, L. leucopus is now confined to the region between the Menarandra River and the Mandrare River. Sea level to 300 m.
Countries:	Native: Madagascar
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Common. Population densities in both spiny and gallery forest of the Berenty Private Reserve in southern Madagascar have been estimated at several hundreds of animals per square kilometre.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species has been studied principally in gallery and Didiereaceae dry forests near the Berenty Private Reserve (see Mittermeier et al. 2008, and references therein).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The main threats to this species are habitat loss due to annual burning practices to create new pasture for livestock, and subsequent over-grazing and the felling of trees for charcoal production.

Major Threat(s):

The main threats to this species are habitat loss due to annual burning practices to create new pasture for livestock, and subsequent over-grazing and the felling of trees for charcoal production.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Protected areas in which it is known to occur include one national park (Andohahela) and the Berenty Private Reserve. Consideration should be given to the establishment of protected areas in the middle of the species' range. Further work is now urgently needed to clarify the distribution and taxonomic limits of the recently described Lepilemur species.

Conservation Actions:

This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Protected areas in which it is known to occur include one national park (Andohahela) and the Berenty Private Reserve. Consideration should be given to the establishment of protected areas in the middle of the species' range. Further work is now urgently needed to clarify the distribution and taxonomic limits of the recently described Lepilemur species.

Citation:	Hoffmann, M. 2008. Lepilemur leucopus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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