Aspects of social life in the fat‐tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius)

Body weight is an important attribute of any animal and influences its biology in many ways. In the case of the fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius), this is of special interest because animals of this species store fat to survive extended torpor phases during the austral winter and, as a result, show extreme seasonal variation in body weight. In this paper, I present field data from a 20-month study at the Forestry Station of Ampijoroa in northwestern Madagascar on body weights of repeatedly trapped individuals combined with trapping results to investigate the general biology and notably the social life of C.?medius. The most remarkable physical characteristic of wild C.?medius is a dramatic weight-loss in males in September following emergence from torpor. Trapping results showed that adult males emerge from torpor earlier than females and offspring, even though food is still scarce. Early emergence from torpor puts males at an energetic disadvantage and confers no advantage in terms of access to females. Observation data from nightly follows indicate that males patrol their home range, probably to guarantee its integrity for the coming active season and to secure the food supply for their families. The high energetic costs of this strategy is argued to represent a form of paternal investment. Body weight data of repeatedly captured individuals showed that they may reach adult size and sexual maturity at 2 years of age but are not socially mature before the age of 3 years. The data presented may serve as a guide for keeping C. medius at a suitable weight in captivity. Am. J. Primatol. 49:265–280, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Biology · Lemur · Medius · Offspring · Primate · Sexual maturity · Sociology · Torpor · Zoology · Amphibian and Reptile Biology · Anatomy · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior · Demography · Ecology · Primate Behavior and Ecology