Abstract
The destruction and degradation of forest habitats are the biggest drivers of primate population decline and extirpation. Enormous areas of what were once widespread and continuous tropical forest are today highly fragmented, and the populations of many primates are now isolated due to their inability to cross the large open spaces between forest patches. Although somewhat adaptable and resilient to forest degradation, the mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus) of Madagascar are particularly affected by this fragmentation and consequent isolation. The geographic distributions of many of the species of mouse lemurs remain poorly known, and such spatial data is needed to effectively conserve their populations. We conducted a survey of the lemurs in the Ankarafa forest of the Sahamalaza – Îles Radama National Park of north-west Madagascar and found there a previously unrecorded population of mouse lemurs. We used line transect Distance sampling to estimate its size and density. The Ankarafa Microcebus population density was significantly lower than that of the Anabohazo forest nearby which is much more extensive, and the population density in the Sahamalaza National Park appears to be lower than that of other mouse lemurs in other areas of Madagascar. Probably M. sambiranensis, our findings suggest large-scale regional variation in its population density. Further, our study demonstrates that populations of these small, cryptic primates remain to be discovered, and such data are urgently needed to safeguard their future, many of them being severely threatened with extinction.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 103-111 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Primate Conservation |
| Volume | 2022 |
| Issue number | 36 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank our field guides Raumiald, Mahatsara, Avitsara, Hervé, Aristide and Jacquis, and our cooks Klariny, Klarice and Marceline for all their help and enthusiasm during our time together in the field. We also express our sincere gratitude to the people of Ambinda, Betsimpoaka, Marovato, Maropapango, Antanandava, Antanambao Manambaro, Antafiabe, Maromandia and Ambolobozo for their logistical assistance. We are grateful to MICET and MNP for their facilitation services and for kindly allowing us to conduct research in the Sahamalaza-Îles Radama National Park (permit numbers 245/19 and 124/22 - MEEF/ SG/DGGE/DAPRNE/SCBE.Re). Finally, we thank the National Geographic Society, Re:wild, Primate Conservation Incorporated, La Vallée des Singes, Idea Wild, the Primate Society of Great Britain, AEECL, the University of Bristol, Bristol Zoological Society and many private donors for kindly funding this fieldwork. Two anonymous reviewers kindly provided excellent suggestions to improve our original submission.
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