Northern giant mouse lemur

Northern giant mouse lemur
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Family: Cheirogaleidae
Genus: Mirza
Species: M. zaza
Binomial name
Mirza zaza
Kappeler & Roos, 2005
Northern giant mouse lemur range[1]

The northern giant mouse lemur (Mirza zaza), or northern dwarf lemur, is a species of lemur discovered in 2005.[3] Previously, both populations of giant mouse lemurs were believed to belong to one species. The northern giant mouse lemurs are small nocturnal lemurs endemic to Madagascar. They weigh about 300 grams (11 oz), and have long, bushy tails and relatively small ears. Their large testicles are an indication of their promiscuous copulation system. These lemurs have been found to use communal sleeping nests including multiple males, which is an uncommon behaviour in lemurs.[4]

Etymology

The word zaza means child in Malagasy. The name was chosen because the northern giant mouse lemur is the smaller of the two giant mouse lemur species, and because of a wish to emphasize the responsibility of the current generation of Malagasy children for the conservation of Malagasy animals for future generations.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Andriaholinirina, N.; et al. (2014). "Mirza zaza". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  2. ↑ "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 P.M. Kappeler et al.: A New Mirza Species Primate Report 71, July 2005 (PDF)
  4. ↑ Rode, Johanna; Nekaris, Anne-Isola; Markolf, Matthias; Schliehe-Diecks, Susanne; Seiler, Melanie; Radespiel, Ute; Schwitzer, Christoph (2013). "Social organisation of the northern giant mouse lemur Mirza zaza in Sahamalaza, north western Madagascar, inferred from nest group composition and genetic relatedness". Contributions to Zoology 82 (2): 71–83. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
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