Madame Berthe's mouse lemur

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), also called Berthe's mouse lemur, is the smallest primate in the world. These tiny creatures average about 9.2 cm (3.6 in) in body length and weigh around 30 g (1.1 oz). They belong to a group of animals called mouse lemurs, which live only on the island of Madagascar.

This special lemur was first found in 1992 in the dry forests of western Madagascar, especially in an area called the Kirindy Forest. At first, scientists thought it was a known type of mouse lemur, but later studies showed it was a brand-new species.

The lemur is named after Berthe Rakotosamimanana, a scientist from Madagascar who studied primates and helped protect them until she passed away in 2005. Her work helped us learn more about these fascinating small animals.

Physical description

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur has short, dense fur that is a mix of cinnamon and yellow on its back. Its midback stripe is tawny, and its belly is chamois-colored. The sides are a mix of pale chamois and light gray. The tail is short and tawny, and the head and ears are also tawny. The area between the eyes is cinnamon, and the hands and feet are dull beige. The fur under the main layers is a neutral blackish-gray color.

Distribution and habitat

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur lives in the Kirindy Forest in Madagascar. These small lemurs like to sleep in tangles of tree vines. Because they are only found in one special place, they may need that exact environment to survive. They might also share their home with another type of lemur called the gray mouse lemur, and they might compete for food.

The forests where they live have been shrinking quickly. Between 1985 and 2000, a lot of trees were cut down. Because of this, there are fewer places for these lemurs to live, and they are now considered critically endangered.

Behavior

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is usually alone when searching for food, but it does interact with others of its kind. About half the time, these lemurs sleep by themselves. Other times, they might sleep next to one or more other lemurs, without caring if they are close family or the other sex. They often sleep in leaf nests in trees or in hole-like spots.

Sometimes, two lemurs meet and do things like cleaning each other, spending time together, or even chasing each other. Males and females act similarly in these meetings. Unlike some other lemurs, Madame Berthe's mouse lemur does not sleep through the cold-dry season. Instead, it searches a larger area for food.

In groups of these lemurs, there are usually more males than females. Females are a bit bigger than males, even though they look the same. Males explore larger areas—about 4.92 hectares (12.2 acres)—than females, who stay closer to where they were born, covering about 2.50 hectares (6.2 acres). Females often stay near their birthplace, while males move away. Their living areas often overlap, with females sharing space with one or two others, and males with up to nine others.

These lemurs are more like the gray mouse lemur than the fat-tailed dwarf lemur, meaning they do not pair up for life. Studies show they remain active throughout the year, which allows them to spend time together more often.

Ecology

Mouse lemurs are found in many forests of Madagascar and look very similar to each other. Madame Berthe's mouse lemur and the gray mouse lemur eat similar foods, like sugary liquids from insects, fruits, flowers, and small animals such as geckos and chameleons. Even though they live in the same area, they usually stay away from each other.

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur mainly eats insects and occasionally fruits. It feeds more during the dry season and uses the wet season for mating. Both types of mouse lemurs can adjust to changes in food availability, but they avoid competing by staying in different small areas.

Status

As of December 2019, Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is rated critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. The main danger to this tiny animal comes from the loss of its home because of deforestation and damage to its habitat from Slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, and making charcoal. A protected area called the Menabe-Antimena has been created to guard the Kirindy Forest and nearby lands, but the rules are not followed well, and the forest keeps disappearing.

If the cutting down of trees keeps happening at the same speed, scientists believe Madame Berthe's mouse lemur could disappear forever in about 10 years. As of 2019, there are no of these lemurs living in special places called captivity.