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Support Utilization by Two Sympatric Lemur Species

Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi and Eulemur fulvus rufus

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New Directions in Lemur Studies

Abstract

The supports utilized by Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi and Eulemur fulvus rufus for displacement and feeding were studied in the Kirindy Forest/CFPF of southwest-em Madagascar. Support dimensions were classified in four categories (small, medium, large, and enormous). Support orientation was classified in four categories (horizontal, oblique, angled, and vertical). Comparisons between the structures available in the forest and the supports used by these lemurs showed thatP. verreauxiused mainly intermediate and large sized supports and vertical structures for locomotion; whileE. fulvusused the different sized supports according to their availability in the forest, but moved disproportionally more often quadrupedally on horizontal and oblique supports. Both species used small and horizontal supports to feed from. Comparing the two lemur species, P.verreauxiused larger trunks and branches that were more often vertical or angular than the supports used byE. fulvusfor locomotion and feeding. In contrastE. fulvusused horizontal branches more frequently for locomotion and especially when feeding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Paléontologie et d’Anthropologie Biologique, Faculté des Sciences, Université d’Antananarivo, BP 906, Antananarivo (101), Madagascar

    Léonard Razafimanantsoa

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  1. Léonard Razafimanantsoa
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Antananarivo University, Antananarivo, Madagascar

    Berthe Rakotosamimanana  & Hanta Rasamimanana  & 

  2. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Jörg U. Ganzhorn

  3. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Steven M. Goodman

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Razafimanantsoa, L. (1999). Support Utilization by Two Sympatric Lemur Species. In: Rakotosamimanana, B., Rasamimanana, H., Ganzhorn, J.U., Goodman, S.M. (eds) New Directions in Lemur Studies. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4705-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4705-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7131-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4705-1

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