White-footed lepilemurs, Lepilemur leucopus, are small-bodied folivores, eating mainly mature leaves. Much of the scant energy from leaves is used to maintain their body heat, especially in the cold nights of July. They are extraordinarily inactive creatures, conserving energy for strictly necessary movements to forage or to escape predators. Their social system at Berenty seems to be home ranges of a single male covering that of several females, although some lepilemur species in other parts of the island form bonded pairs. By day lepilemurs sleep in tree holes or in dense tangles of vegetation, where they can be found if you know where to look. The most photographed lepilemur of Madagascar, a female called Pepe, lives in a tree in the tortoise enclosure near Berenty's restaurant—although she is probably several successive Pepes in the same tree-hole. Berenty lepilemurs are currently under study by Iris Dröscher.

Grey mouselemurs, Microcebus murinus, are a common species distributed throughout Madagascar's south and west. Red-and-grey mouselemurs, Microcebus griseorufus, are one of the suite of new species identified in 2002 by Roland Rasoloarison. (Olivier Rahanitrininiaina, Berenty guide, had earlier pointed out that the two forms are different.) In many forests grey mouselemurs co-exist with a smaller species like the red-and-grey. At Berenty, the red-and-grey are the only ones seen in the spiny forest, while greys are either the only form, or the commonest form in the gallery forest. Both kinds live on insects, fruit, and nectar. Ecological and behavioural studies are currently undertaken by Fabien Génin and Hajarimanitra Rambeloarivony.

The recently discovered Microcebus griseorufus.  Photo © Russell Mittermeier

Read more about lemurs by navigating to:

• White sifakas; • Ringtailed lemurs; • Brown lemurs; • Nocturnal lemurs or • - The Phylogenetic Tree -