Red-Bellied Lemur
Being sexually dimorphic, the male of the species exhibits a medium-long, dense dorsal coat of intense chestnut brown. Ventrally, he is lighter and redder in hue, while his tail, muzzle and head are black. For the female, the dorsal area and tail resemble the male, whereas the ventral fur is a contrasting white-cream colour. Facial markings are similar to the male, except the teardrops are less exaggerated and spiry thick cheek hairs of the male are absent. An adult has a length of 34-40 cm (excluding tail), body plus tail length may total a length of almost 1m. The male has a scent gland atop his head.
Habitat
Red-bellied lemur is one of the rarest species of its kind. This lemur is locally located in the tropical forests of Madagascar, a large island off the coast of Africa. It is the only place in the world where lemurs of all species are found naturally. Red-bellied lemurs move squarely in the middle to mid-level trees on the island’s eastern rainfall. At about 25-50 acres (10-20 hectares) their home range is relatively low compared to other similar species.
Diet
The red-bellied lemur has a diet mainly consisting of fruit and has been found to forage on over seventy species of plant. It will also feed on flowers, leaves, and invertebrates depending on the season.
Because of their fruit-heavy diet they act as an important seed dispenser throughout the forest.
They have been found to eat toxic millipedes when eating them they will first drool on them, which is thought to help neutralize the toxins to make them edible.
Breeding
Sexual maturity reaches the age of about 2 years for both red-bellied lemurs, both male and female. At that time, they find a mate and form a bond. A woman’s oestrous cycle lasts a month, during which she has a high fertility window of 1 to 2 days. If there is an abortion at that time, then the gestational pregnancy is about 120 days. She usually gives birth to a child between September and October. Twins are rare. The birth weight of red-bellied lemurs is only 2-2.5 oz. All red-bellied lemur children have a female caste until about 6-7 months of age, during which time men begin to develop their white eye patches. The infant mortality rate is unfortunately very high. Red-bellied lemurs result in approximately 50% of newborn deaths. If the offspring survives, the first two weeks of the baby’s life are completely dependent on the mother and during that time the mother will be born in the stomach. After this time period, the baby bears behind both the mother and father for one more month, until the mother rejects the baby at 5 weeks. At that time, the father carries the baby for about 3 to 5 months, until completely weaned and separated. The clan is in the group for 2 to 3 years until they find their own spouse. The age of one generation of red-bellied lemurs is 8 years.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, they are classed as Vulnerable(VU). and their population trend is decreasing and the amount of mature individuals is unknown. They were last assessed on the 31st August 2018.
Threats
The main threat is habitat loss due to slash-and-burn practices and illegal logging. The species is also subject to hunting, which can be heavy in certain areas, such as Mantadia and surrounding forests. It is occasionally kept as a pet within Madagascar.
Conservation
This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Though relatively widespread this species appears to be uncommon everywhere and has declined drastically in number in recent years. It is known to occur in seven national parks (Andringitra, Andasibe-Mantadia, Makira, Marojejy, Marolambo, Ranomafana, and Zahamena), two strict nature reserves (Tsaratanana and Zahamena), six special reserves (Ambatovaky, Analamazaotra, Anjanaharibe-Sud, Mangerivola, Marotandrano, and Pic d' Ivohibe) and other newer protected areas in lower protection categories (Corridor Ankeniheny-Zahamena, Corridor Forestier Fandriana-Vondrozo, and Maromizaha). Other populations are found in community-based conservation sites: four groups were located in Vohitrarivo bamboo forest (east of Ranomafana National Park), where they are being monitored by the NGO Helpsimus and additional groups in Didy forest. Unprotected groups close to the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor are being monitored by local communities supported by The Aspinall Foundation, as are groups occurring within the Corridor itself. The Aspinall Foundation is also proposing to reintroduce the species to the lowland rainforest fragment of Andriantantely in the Brickaville District, from where it has been extirpated in living memory.
As of 2019, there were approximately 165 individuals reported in zoological collections worldwide, most of them in Europe (ZIMS 2019). Over 140 are held by EAZA institutions, with the population managed for various roles including as an insurance population and as a source for reintroduction or other conservation translocation projects. Additional captive animals not included in the above figures are held in Madagascar, including approximately 45 in recognised facilities and probably small numbers in illegal captivity.