Eulemur sanfordi
The most striking feature of this subspecies is the stunning cheek ruff of the male, which may range in color from cream to red to off white. Females are, in general, a much drabber brown with a grayish face. In fact, the females of the Sanford’s lemur are difficult to distinguish from the females of the white-fronted lemur. Sanford’s lemurs are sympatric with crowned lemurs throughout most of their range, which is located in the northern tip of Madagascar, and is by far the smallest range of any of the six former brown lemur subspecies. Group size ranges from four to fifteen, with a home range size of up to 14 hectares. Their diet consists of fruit, buds, young and mature leaves, flowers as well as invertebrates (centipedes, millipedes and spiders). This lemur is protected in only three reserves, and although it has been known to survive in secondary forests, populations are probably more endangered than any other brown lemur variety, with the possible exception of the red collared lemur.
Fact Sheet
Order: Primates; Suborder: Prosimii
Family: Lemuridae; Genus: Eulemur
Species: fulvus ; Subspecies: sanfordi
Related Forms
Key Facts
Adult Size : 4.4 – 5.3 pounds
Social life : Sociable, permanent groups of up to 15 animals, average seems to be 3 – 9
Habitat : northern dry deciduous forest
Diet : primarily fruit, occasional plant parts and invertebrates
Lifespan : 20 – 25 years in the wild
Sexual maturity : 2 years
Mating : very seasonal – late May
Gestation : approximately 120 days, infants are born in September and early October
Number of young : one per year
DLC Naming theme : Malagasy names (Niry, Nairo, Bako, etc.)
Malagasy names : Ankomba, Baharavoaka
Interesting Facts
Sanford’s lemurs are often active at night.- Sanford’s lemurs are slightly dichromatic. Females are mostly grey all over; males have a beige mane.
- The DLC no longer houses any Sanford’s lemurs in its colony.
