SEED Madagascar

New genetic evidence from the Ambatotsirongorongo / Petriky complex in southeast Madagascar calls for an immediate re-evaluation of conservation strategies focusing on the Bemanasy mouse lemur (Microcebus manitatra)

Sam Hyde Roberts, J. Carolina Segami, Vatosoa J.N. Harinala, Lydia K. Greene, Marina B. Blanco, Anne D. Yoder.

The diverse forest habitats of southeastern Madagascar support a complex arrangement of five putative species of mouse lemur (genus Microcebus). One of these species, the Critically Endangered Bemanasy mouse lemur (Microcebus manitatra), requires urgent evaluation. In this short article, we present findings from a series of expeditions to the Ambatotsirongorongo massif and the nearby littoral forest of Petriky. Genetic results confirm that the range of M. manitatra is extremely limited. Notably, we find that two Microcebus species (M. manitatra and the Anosy mouse lemur, M. tanosi) occupy the remaining forest fragments of the massif, with seemingly discreet distributions. We observed and captured M. tanosi in the remaining intact humid fragments, whereas we only found M. manitatra in degraded habitats on the lower eastern slopes. The forest fragment that comprised the original type locality of M. manitatra has been all but cleared in recent years. We further confirm the identity of the mouse lemur species present in nearby Petriky as M. manitatra, making this forest the foremost remaining habitat for the species. These findings have substantial implications for species conservation and management strategies at both sites.

Key topics:

Environment

Year of publication:

2024

Published in:

Lemur News