Sifakas Research Paper

The silky sifaka lemur is a large lemur that can be identified by its long, silky fur. Sifakas are listed as an endangered species because there has been a 50% reduction of the population in the past 50 years. It is believed the population is decreasing this rapidly because of the decreasing quality of their habitat because of the logging of their forests, fuel wood production, forest fires, and unsustainable levels of hunting. Sifaka lemurs can be found in southwestern Madagascar. They live in spiny forests and riparian gallery forests. Sifaka lemurs are medium sized animals, their average head and body length being about 16 to 22 inches. Their weight can range from 6.5 pounds up to 13.5 pounds on average. They have long, silky fur that

Sifakas can be found throughout the spiny forests of southern Madagascar, the tropical forests in the northeast, and the dry forests of the northwest. The spiny forest are covered in plants similar to cacti and the only plants available for consumption our surrounded by spikes with poisonous sap. The ground in spiny forests is very dry and cracked. Very few animals are able to live in this habitat because of the hostile conditions.

Sifaka lemurs are able to survive in this harsh environment using their special adaptations. Sifaka lemurs have extremely strong hind limbs and long tails which allow them to jump great distances from tree to tree. They also have adaptations they use for grooming themselves. They have a special claw on their foot which they use to rake through their fur or scratch their head or neck.

Sifaka lemurs live alongside other similar animal species in their habitat. There is a wide range of lemur species living in Madagascar such as the bamboo lemur, the black lemur, dwarf lemurs, and many other lemur species. Lemurs fill the niche of the dominant primate species in Madagascar. There are nearly sixty taxa and thirty-three different species of lemurs in Madagascar. It is also predicted that within the next generation of lemurs there may be up to twenty more species