Diademed Sifaka[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 2.3)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Indriidae Genus: Propithecus Species: P. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands A primate is a member of the biological order Primates ( Latin: "prime first rank" the group that contains Lemurs the Aye-aye The Indridae (also spelled Indriidae) are a family of Strepsirrhine Primates They are medium to large sized Lemurs with only four teeth in Sifakas are a Genus ( Propithecus) from the Primate family Indriidae. diadema
Binomial name
Propithecus diadema Bennett, 1832

The Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema) is an endangered species of sifaka, one of the lemurs endemic to certain rainforests in eastern Madagascar. Edward Turner Bennett ( January 6, 1797 - August 21, 1836) was an English Zoologist and writer An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation Sifakas are a Genus ( Propithecus) from the Primate family Indriidae. Lemurs make up the infraorder Lemuriformes and are members of a group of Primates known as Prosimians The term "lemur" is derived from the Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern This species is one of the world's largest living lemurs, with a total adult length of approximately 105 centimetres (41 inches),^[3] half of which is tail. Russell Mittermeier, one of the contemporary authorities on lemurs, describes the Diademed Sifaka as "one of the most colorful and attractive of all the lemurs", having a long and silky coat. Russell A Mittermeier (born November 8, 1949) is a primatologist, herpetologist and biological anthropologist. ^[4] Like all other prosimians, this species has evolved independently of other primates for about 55 million years (Madagascar separated from the African continent about 90 million years ago. Prosimians are the most primitive extant Primates they have characteristics similar to forms that were ancestral to Monkeys Apes and A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions ) P. diadema is also known by the Malagasy names Simpona, Simpony and Ankomba Joby. The term "Diademed Sifaka" is also used as a group species designation encompassing four distinct subspecies.

Description

P. diadema is readily distinguished from all the other lemur species (which number in excess of 70 as of 2006) by its characteristic markings and large physical size. Its entire coat is moderately long, silky and luxuriant. The long white fur encircling his muzzle and covering its cheeks, forehead and chin, engenders the "diadem" or crown appearance. Its eyes are a reddish-brown, the muzzle is short, and the face is bare with colourisation of darkish gray to jet black. The crown fur is also quite black and often extends to the nape of the neck. The nape is the back of the Neck. In many mammals the nape is the site of the scruff, a loose non-sensitive area of skin by which the mother can carry her young The neck is the part of the Body on many limbed Vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the Torso or trunk The upper back and shoulder fur are slate grayish, although the lower back is lighter in colour attaining a silvery quality. Flanks and tail are a paler gray, sometimes even white, as is the case for ventral fur. Hands and feet are entirely black, while arms, legs and base of tail are a yellowish-golden hue. Only the male is endowed with a large cutaneous gland at the exterior center of the throat, which feature is typically reddish-brown. The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as Hormones or Breast milk, often into the Bloodstream In Anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the Neck, in front of the vertebral column.

Range and habitat

Diademed Sifaka ready to leap. Photo credit: C. Michael Hogan

The Diademed Sifaka is one of the mostly widely distributed member of the Propithecus genus, although definitive mapping of its range has not been conducted. ^[5] Occurrence is at altitudes of 200 to 800 metres (656 to 2624 feet) throughout much of the eastern Madagascar lowland forests and altitudes 800 to 1550 metres (2624 to 5084 feet); in portions of the Madagascar subhumid forests. The Madagascar lowland forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest Ecoregion, found on the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar. The Madagascar subhumid forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest Ecoregion which originally covered most of the central highlands of the island of Madagascar These two biomes have been designated as a Global 200 ecoregion, one of the world's most significant regions for conservation. The Global 200 is the list of Ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF as priorities for conservation Geographically the range extends to at least the Mananara River in the north to the Onive and Mongoro Rivers in the south. One set of researchers has recorded a clinal variation between Propithecus diadema and Propithecus edwardsi in the extreme southern portion of the range. Milne-Edwards' Sifaka is a large Arboreal, diurnal Lemur endemic to the eastern coastal Rainforest of Madagascar. ^[6] As with all Indriidae, this species and its entire genus have evolved on the island of Madagascar independent of other mainland African species. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008

An anomalous outlier population of P. diadema has been discovered in south central Madagascar; the members of this population exhibit an array of different colour markings, including at least one observation of an all black lemur. DNA analyses have not resulted in consistent results as to whether this group of individuals should constitute a new species. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known Scientists have decided to classify this outlier group as P. diadema until further research warrants designation of a separate species.

Specific locations for sighting the Diademed Sifaka are Mantadia National Park (approximately three hours in driving time from the capital city of Antananarivo) and in the forests of Tsinjoarivo. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a 155 square kilometre Protected area consisting principally of primary growth forest in Toamasina Province in eastern Antananarivo (ˌtəˌnænəˈriːv or /ˌtəˌnɑːnəˈriːv/ is the Capital and largest city in Madagascar. ^[7]

Behaviour

Diademed Sifaka mid canopy, Mantadia National Park

The Diademed Sifaka forms groups typically of two to ten individuals, which may include multiple male and female adults. Each troop defends an exclusive home territory of 25 to 50 hectares (62 to 125 acres) using perimeter scent territorial marking by both the males and females. Scent glands are found in the genital area of most Mammals and in various other parts of the body such as the underarms of Humans and the Preorbital In Ethology, Sociobiology and Behavioral ecology, the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an Animal of a particular Species Although the Diademed Sifaka defends the group's territory strongly against other members of their same species, it will share territory with other species such as the Red-bellied Lemur and the Common Brown Lemur. The Red-bellied Lemur ( Eulemur rubriventer) is a medium sized Prosimian with a luxuriant chestnut brown coat The Common Brown Lemur ( Eulemur fulvus) is a species of Lemur in the Lemuridae family P. diadema is thought to traverse the greatest daily path distance relative to other members of its family in its patrolling and foraging, attaining a typical travel distance in excess of 1. 6 kilometres (one mile) per day. To accomplish this it consumes a diet high in energy content and diverse in plant content, each day consuming over 25 different vegetative species. This diurnal prosimian further diversifies its diet by consuming not only fruits, but certain flowers, seeds and verdant leaves,^[8] in proportions that vary by season. In Animal behavior, diurnality indicates an Animal that is active during the Daytime and rests during the Night.

For a large lemur, the Diademed Sifaka is rather athletic, being capable of lateral aerial propulsion of up to 30 kilometers per hour, a result of muscular leg thrusting action pushing off from a vertical tree trunk. ^[8] It is possible, although not proven, that its vigorous health characteristics are enhanced from high consumption of two plants which contain high concentrations of alkaloids. This article is about the chemical compounds alkaloids For the Pharmaceutical company in the Republic of Macedonia see Alkaloid (company. This species is arboreal, and only rarely are seen on the ground; moreover, it is a vertical clinger and lateral leaper. Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees"

The Diademed Sifaka makes a warning call resembling the sound "kiss-sneeze" when a terrestrial predator is perceived;^[9] the sole terrestrial predators of P. Terrestrial animals are Animals that live predominantly or entirely on land as compared with Aquatic animals which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e diadema are the Fossa and Nile crocodile. The Nile crocodile ( Crocodylus niloticus) is an African Reptile of the family Crocodylidae.

Sexual maturity occurs after age two or three, with the male maturing somewhat more slowly than the female. Little is known of mating behaviour; however, it is believed that the female is receptive only a few days per year. Being dominant, the female has the greatest input to mate selection. Copulation occurs in the summer (around December), and the expected number of births is one offspring per female per annum.

Conservation issues

The Diademed Sifaka is classified as endangered, designation EN A4cd according to the IUCN Red List. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global As of the year 2002, population estimates for the species range between 6,000 and 10,000 individuals. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ^[10] The primary threat is habitat reduction due to shifting cultivation by native peoples. For methods see Slash and burn Shifting cultivation is an Agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily then abandoned This threat is also present even within designated national parks, which are sufficiently distant from the center of government, that enforcement of existing national laws protecting P. diadema habitat is problematic. Pressures of overpopulation in central and eastern Madagascar are causing many of the rural poor to seek subsistence by seizing whatever forest lands are available and undertaking slash-and-burn tactics as their initial step in a shifting cultivation system. Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of Forests or Woodlands to create fields for Agriculture or Pasture for Livestock, or Returns from such land use are usually meager, yielding small amounts of charcoal, firewood or grass crop for grazing of Zebu. Charcoal' is the blackish residue consisting of impure Carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from Animal and Vegetation Firewood was the primary source of fuel until the 1800s when it was displaced by coal and later by oil Grazing generally describes a type of Predation in which an Herbivore feeds on Plants (such as Grasses, or more broadly on a multicellular Zebus ( Bos primigenius indicus) sometimes known as 'humped Cattle ' or 'indicus' cattle are a type of cattle better-adapted to tropical environments

Classification

The Diademed Sifaka and four other sifaka species form a tight species group within the Propithecus genus. The other four species are Milne-Edwards' Sifaka (Propithecus edwardsi), Perrier's Sifaka (P. Milne-Edwards' Sifaka is a large Arboreal, diurnal Lemur endemic to the eastern coastal Rainforest of Madagascar. Perrier's Sifaka ( Propithecus perrieri) is a Sifaka endemic to Madagascar. perrieri), the Golden-crowned Sifaka, P. The Golden-crowned Sifaka ( Propithecus tattersalli) is a medium-large Lemur characterized by short mostly white fur prominent furry ears and a golden-orange tattersalli, and the Silky Sifaka (P. The Silky Sifaka ( Propithecus candidus) is a white Diurnal Rainforest Sifaka found solely within a small area of northeastern Madagascar candidus). All of these species have luxuriant silky coats and are powerful leapers. They share similar characteristics of gestation length (four months), age of sexual maturity, female dominance, life expectancy (18 years) and propensity for sunbathing while stretched out on a branch. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin (especially of fair-skinned individuals in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure to ultraviolet (UV radiation They differ distinctly in colouration and markings, except for having universally totally black faces.

Gallery

Diademed Sifaka	Diademed Sifaka	Diademed Sifaka	Diademed Sifaka
Diademed Sifaka	Diademed Sifaka	Diademed Sifaka

References

External links

• Duke University fact sheet for Diademed Sifaka
• Photo of leaping Diademed Sifaka
• University of Michigan fact sheet for Diademed Sifaka