| Lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Cheirogaleidae |
| Genus: | Cheirogaleus |
| Species: | C. minusculus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cheirogaleus minusculus | |
| |
| Lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur range1 | |
The lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus minusculus), or large iron-gray dwarf lemur, is a small nocturnal lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is nocturnal and an arboreal quadruped, and is not very agile. It produces three types of vocalisation: a squeak, which is high in pitch and is produced with the mouth closed, and is used between infants and their mothers; a whistle, which is higher in pitch than the squeak, so it is hard to hear with human ears, and is used as a communicative and possibly territorial call; and a grunt, which is usually given in series and is very powerful, used when an individual is being attacked in its nest.4
This species is only known to exist from one museum specimen from Ambositra, north of Fianarantsoa in east-central Madagascar. As of 2010, no studies in the wild have been conducted of the lesser iron-gray dwarf lemur, and it is unknown whether it still survives in this region. There are no reports of it being kept in captivity.5
References
References
- Andriaholinirina, N.; et al. (2014). "Cheirogaleus minusculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014 e.T136800A16111635. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T136800A16111635.en. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- Harcourt, C. (1990). Thornback, J (ed.). Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros: The IUCN Red Data Book (PDF). World Conservation Union. ISBN 978-2-88032-957-0. OCLC 28425691.
- Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 112. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
- Flannery, Sean. "Small Iron-gray Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus minusculus)". www.theprimata.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- "Cheirogaleus minusculus Groves, 2000 | Lemurs of Madagascar". lemursofmadagascar.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2017-03-20.