Bears do it, bats do it, and now we know lemurs do it too: hibernate, that is. Since 2005, scientists have known that the western fat-tailed dwarf lemur hibernates, but a new study in Scientific Reports finds that hibernation is
Tag Archives: rainforest animals
May 02, 2013 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Hibernating primates: scientists discover three lemur species sleep like bears
January 17, 2013 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Bloodsucking flies help scientists identify rare, hard-to-find mammals
Last year scientists released a study that is likely to revolutionize how conservationists track elusive species. Researchers extracted the recently sucked blood of terrestrial leeches in Vietnam's remote Annamite Mountains and looked at the DNA of wha...
October 15, 2012 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
The world’s 25 most endangered primates: nearly a quarter in Madagascar
A coalition of conservation groups released the biannual Top 25 Primates list today, including nine species not appearing on the 2010 list, at the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad, India. Madagascar tops the list as home to
April 19, 2012 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Mad frog bonanza: up to 36 new frogs discovered in tiny Madagascar forest
A forest less than half the size of Manhattan sports an astounding number of frogs, according to a new paper in Biodiversity Conservation. Two surveys of Madagascar's Betampona Nature Reserve, which covers 2,228 hectares, has uncovered 76 unique frogs,...
February 20, 2012 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Innovative conservation: wild silk, endangered species, and poverty in Madagascar
For anyone who works in conservation in Madagascar, confronting the complex difficulties of widespread poverty is a part of the job. But with the wealth of Madagascar's wildlife rapidly diminishing— such as lemurs, miniature chameleons, and hedge...
February 15, 2012 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Photo: World’s smallest chameleon discovered in Madagascar
Scientists have discovered four new species of super-tiny chameleons in Madagascar, according to a new paper in PLoS ONE. The smallest of the new species, Brookesia micra, is found only on the small island of Nosy Hara and has been
January 09, 2012 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
How lemurs fight climate change
Kara Moses may have never become a biologist if not for a coin toss. The coin, which came up heads and decided Moses' direction in college, has led her on a sinuous path from studying lemurs in captivity to environmental
December 16, 2011 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Cultural shifts in Madagascar drive lemur-killing
Conservationists have often found that some cultural norms, religious beliefs, and taboos play a role in holding back traditional peoples from overusing their environment. Examples of such beliefs include days wherein one cannot hunt or fish, or certai...
November 13, 2011 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Critically Endangered lemurs disperse seeds, store carbon
Many tropical plants depend on other species to carry their progeny far-and-wide. Scientists are just beginning to unravel this phenomenon, known as seed dispersal, which is instrumental in supporting the diversity and richness of tropical forests. Res...
November 06, 2011 by Jeremy Hance | No comments
Animal picture of the day: crowned lemur and baby
Like all of the world's hundred-plus lemur species, the crowned lemur (Eulemur coronatus) is only found on the island of Madagascar. They inhabit the northern tip of the island.
