Crowned Lemur
Conservation Messaging Opportunities
Physical features
Crowned lemurs are the most noticeably sexually dichromatic lemur species, with the exception of the blue-eyed lemur. The females are predominantly gray with an orange crown, while the males are a much darker reddish brown with a black and orange crown.
The crowned lemur is a mostly diurnal lemur with a very limited range in the northern tip of Madagascar. This lemur weighs, on average, about 3.1-3.5 pounds, making it the smallest member of the Eulemur genus.
Although the animals are more active during daylight than night, researchers have found that there is usually a nighttime activity period lasting up to two hours.
Range and Habitat
Range – extreme northern Madagascar
Habitat – semideciduous dry tropical forest, scrub, savanna, edges of humid forest
It is the only species found on the Cap d’Ambre Peninsula, the most northerly point on the island. From there its range extends south, east of the Mahavavy River beyond Ambilobe. The eastern part of its range extends south in Daraina to the Manambato River. Individuals are also found just north of Bemarivo River. Ranges from sea-level to 1,400 m.
Crowned lemurs are sympatric throughout most of their range with Sanford’s lemur (Eulemur fulvus sanfordi). Crowned lemurs generally feed lower in the forest than Sanford’s lemurs, which may help avoid aggressive interactions between these two species.
Crowned lemurs may be found in the more humid areas only because they have been forced out of their preferred dry habitat by human interference. They prefer drier forests, existing in higher densities in these habitats than in adjacent humid forests.
Crowned lemurs often forage in scrubby bushes and short trees, and routinely come to the ground. In dry areas, the animals may venture deep into caves in search of water.
Group size does not appear to differ significantly between habitat types, the average group being five or six and the maximum size about 15 individuals. Large multi-male/multi-female groups often split into foraging subgroups of 2-4 individuals. The Crowned Lemur is one of only three Eulemur species that show features of female dominance (Kappeler 1993).
Diet: Frugivore
Wild – mainly of fruits, supplemented with young leaves, flowers, and pollen; insects and soil are also eaten on occasion.
They rely heavily on 10-20% of the nearly 100 plant species it exploits, and feeds more on flowers during the dry season than at other times of the year.
Although the diet of crowned lemurs varies with the seasons, it contains a high percentage of fruit with relatively few leaves. During both wet and dry seasons, fruit comprises as much as 80% to 90% of the crowned lemur diet.
Zoo – high fiber primate chow, browse biscuits, peas, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, collards, kale, cabbage, mango, papaya, orange, cantaloupe
Lifespan
Wild – 15-20 years
Zoo – 20 years
Reproduction
Crowned lemurs reach maturity at 20 months of age and sexual maturity at 3 years old. It is not known if the presence of juveniles in a group during birth season or breeding season has an effect on either the production or survival of infants.
Females have pronounced swelling of their perineum about every 33 days. Swelling takes about 1 week to become full size, estrus will last about 3 days, and then the swelling will diminish in another 3 days. The vulva is closed when the female is not in estrus.
Young are born seasonally. Breeding season is late fall, November-March. One or two young are born, each weighing approximately 60 grams. Weaning occurs at 6-7 months of age.
Gestation is between 125-129 days (4½ months). Singletons and twins appear to be equally common. Infants are initially carried on the mother’s belly, but switch to her back when they are a couple months old. In the wild, females will usually not breed again for 2-3 years after giving birth.
Births at the Duke Lemur Center occur April through mid-June (mid-September through October in Madagascar), with gestation being about 120 to 128 days. Births in Madagascar coincide with the start of the rainy season.
Conservation: Endangered
Crowned lemurs are endemic to the island country of Madagascar and are currently listed as Endangered due to severely fragmented habitat, decline in the quality of habitat within the range of the species, and a decline in the number of mature individuals due to hunting.
Major Threat(s): This species is threatened mainly by habitat loss due to slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal production, mining for sapphires and gold, and illegal logging. The species is also hunted for food, and captured for the local pet trade (especially in the Antsiranana region). They continue as well to be hunted for food and persecuted for their occasional raids on crops.
This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Crowned lemurs are known to occur in two national parks (Ankarana and Montagne d' Ambre), two special reserves (Analamerana and Forêt d' Ambre) and in the forests of Daraina (Loky-Manambato Protected Area).
Interpretive Information
The target SSP population is 50 individuals.
References
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/8199/0
http://lemur.duke.edu/discover/meet-the-lemurs/crowned-lemur/
Updated July 2017