Abstract
Greater dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus major) are small nocturnal primates from the rain forests of eastern Madagascar. I investigated a population of Cheirogaleus major in a littoral rain forest of Southeast Madagascar during 2 rainy seasons to supplement the sparse information available for the species. I collected data on morphology, group composition, sleeping behavior, home range, and social organization via mark/recapture, radio telemetry, and focal individual observations. I identified 2 presumed family groups, and my data from radiotracking revealed a monogamous social organization. In each group, I found an adult pair and its presumed offspring sharing home ranges and sleeping sites together. I also observed gregarious behavior of group members during their nocturnal activity. I found no difference in body measurements between sexes, but body mass and tail circumference increased significantly from November to February, indicating a fatting period before hibernating.
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Acknowledgments
I conducted the study under the accord de Collaboration between the Département de Paléonthologie et Anthropologie, the Département Biologie Animale of the Université d’Antananarivo, and the Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg. I especially thank Madame Berthe Rakotosamimanana and Madame Gisèle Randria from the University of Antananarivo for their support. I thank the Commission Tripartite and the Ministère pour la Production Animale et des Eaux et Forêts for their permission to work in Madagascar. I thank QIT Madagascar Minerals and their environmental team, headed by Manon Vincelette and Jean-Baptiste Ramanamanjato, for their help and support. I thank Refaly Ernest, Andry Rajaonson, Georg Schwesinger, and Dimitrij for their assistance during field data collection and Andreas Hapke for his ideas and previous experiments in capturing of Cheirogaleidae in Mandena. Finally I thank Jörg Ganzhorn for his support and comments. The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) funded the study.
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Lahann, P. Biology of Cheirogaleus major in a Littoral Rain Forest in Southeast Madagascar. Int J Primatol 28, 895–905 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-007-9163-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-007-9163-3