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Population surveys of fork-marked dwarf lemurs and needle-clawed galagos

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Abstract

Fork-marked dwarf lemurs (Phaner spp.) of Madagascar and the needle-clawed galagos (Euoticus spp.) of Central-West Africa are two genera within the primate suborder Strepsirrhini. Despite their distant relationship, these genera share remarkably convergent anatomical, behavioural and ecological characteristics. However, like most nocturnal primates in sub-Saharan Africa they are poorly studied and little is known about the population estimates of both genera. I conducted surveys of wild populations of Phaner pallescens, P. parienti and P. furcifer in Madagascar as well as Euoticus elegantulus and E. pallidus in Cameroon. Six transects were established in Madagascar covering a total distance of 20 km, within which I encountered 52 fork-marked dwarf lemurs. In Cameroon three transects were established covering a total distance of 8.5 km, and 56 encounters of needle-clawed galagos were made. Population encounter rates of P. pallescens, P. parienti, P. furcifer, E. elegantulus and E. pallidus were 3.3, 2.4, 2.3, 9.9 and 8.3 individuals per kilometre, respectively. Compared to previous estimates of population encounter rates in other study sites, these values are lower. Low population encounter rates of fork-marked dwarf lemurs and needle-clawed galagos may be due to environmental and anthropogenic pressures at the study sites. Further ecological, behavioural and conservation studies are required for these genera.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded in major part by the African Earth Observatory Network (AEON) under the scientific direction of Prof. Maarten de Wit. I thank my supervisors, Prof. Judith Masters and Dr. Fabien Génin, for their guidance and support during the study period, and for the funding they provided for field studies. Primate Conservation Incorporated supported purchase of a field camera, for which I thank Noel Rowe. The project was authorized by the Direction de la Conservation de la Biodiversité et du Système des Aires Protegées in Madagascar and authorities of Dja Biosphere Reserve, Mefou Sanctuary and Mount Kupé in Cameroon. This research complied with the ethical standards in the treatment of animals and guidelines laid down by the Primate Society of Japan and the national laws of Madagascar and Cameroon.

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  1. African Primate Initiative for Ecology and Speciation, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Fort Hare, P/Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa

    Derick Nomuh Forbanka

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Correspondence to Derick Nomuh Forbanka.

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Forbanka, D.N. Population surveys of fork-marked dwarf lemurs and needle-clawed galagos. Primates 59, 355–360 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-018-0669-4

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