What type of animal is a sifaka?
"infant lemurs to fall, whereupon the mother quickly comes to the infant's assistance. Adult lemurs typically don't fall although they may occasionally lose their grip if the bark of the tree shears off from beneath their fingers. Lemurs may carry food while they travel in their hands, though they prefer to place the objects in their mouth. Milne-Edwards' sifaka is endemic to the island of Madagascar off the southeastern coast of Africa. Milne-Edwards' sifaka is found in primary and secondary rainforests on the southeastern part of the island at elevations between . Milne-Edwards' sifaka has the southern-most range of the"
"each other. The main threats faced by this sifaka are habitat destruction and fragmentation due to slash and burn agriculture, charcoal gathering, and logging. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as ""critically endangered"" and is considered to be one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world. It has a length of 85 to 92 centimeters, of which 42-46 centimeters are tail. Its pelage is almost entirely black covering everywhere on their body except for their face and ears. They have small, forward-facing eyes. The species have masses ranging from 3.7 to 6.0"
"diurnal animal weighs about , has brown skin with white regions on the rear and inside of the thighs and has a short damp nose, large plate eyes, and ears which hardly stand out from the skin. It typically has a strictly vegetarian diet of leaves and buds, living together in small families. The local population calls the species dadintsifaky, which means ""Grandfather of the sifaka"", because it is similarly sized to sifakas, but more ponderous, heavyset and has ample greyish-brown fur. The habitat is limited to the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in western Madagascar, which is a"
"The Crowned sifaka is a medium-sized sifaka who has a total length of 87 to 102 centimeters, of which 47-57 centimeters are tail, and 39.5 - 45.5 cm are the head and body. Males weigh 3.5-4.5 kg and 3.5-5.0 kg for females. It is a sifaka of comparable size to the Golden-crowned sifaka, Von der Decken's sifaka and Verreaux's sifaka. The crowned sifaka is characterized by a creamy white body with tinges of golden brown around the shoulder region, upper chest and back with a dark chocolate or black head with white ear tufts. Their dark grey face is hairless"
"of male members, group takeover, and infanticide. Predators of the sifaka include the fossa, a puma-like mammal native to Madagascar, and aerial hunters such as hawks. The sifaka usually avoids these attacks with its agile acrobatics through the trees high above the ground. However, they have been known to attack by biting and scratching and have even been witnessed fighting off a Madagascar ground boa. A four to five-month gestation period ends with the birth of a single offspring in July. The young holds fast to the mother's belly when small, but then later is carried on her back. Young"
"Coquerel's sifaka, the crowned sifaka, Von der Decken's sifaka, and Verreaux's sifaka. It has a coat of moderately long, creamy-white fur with a golden tint, dark black or chocolate-brown fur on its neck and throat, pale orange fur on the tops of its legs and forelimbs, a white tail and hindlimbs, and a characteristic bright orange-gold crown. It is the only sifaka with prominent tufts of white fur protruding from its ears, making its head appear somewhat triangular and distinctive in appearance. Its eyes are orange, and its face is black and mostly hairless, with dark gray-black fur with white"
"The dispersal of offspring is thought to be similar to that of other eastern rainforest sifakas, with both males and females transferring out of the group at sexual maturity. However, dispersal has only been observed once with a young adult male, which left his natal group and proceeded to oust an older male from a group in which he had been a member for seven years. Female dispersal and group transfer has not yet been observed. The only documented predator of the silky sifaka, other than humans, is the fossa, a cat-like carnivore found only on Madagascar. Although no aerial"
"species status, which has generally been accepted. The silky sifaka has a variable social structure, and lives in groups of two to nine individuals. It spends most of its day feeding and resting, though it also devotes a considerable amount of time to social behaviors, such as playing and grooming, as well as travelling. Females occasionally take priority over males during feeding. Like other eastern sifakas, it consumes mainly leaves and seeds, but also fruit, flowers, and even soil on occasion. It is a seasonal breeder and only mates one day a year during the start of the rainy season."
"Crowned sifaka The crowned sifaka (""Propithecus coronatus"") is a sifaka endemic to western Madagascar. It is of comparable size to the Golden-crowned sifaka and up to a meter in length, of which 47-57 centimeters are tail. The species is an arboreal vertical climber and leaper whose diet consists of leaves, fruits and flowers. It is threatened by habitat destruction and currently classified as Endangered by the IUCN. The crowned sifaka was formerly believed to be a subspecies of either Verreaux's sifaka or Von der Decken's sifaka, but is now considered a valid species following a 2007 analysis of the cranium."
"dogs on the island to protect the native wildlife. Even the protected areas where the Coquerel's sifaka occurs offer it little protection. It is hunted even within Ankarafantsika, and the Bora Special Reserve has become seriously degraded. There are many animals that prey on the Coquerel’s Sifaka. Hawks and other raptors attack them from above, while constrictor snakes and the Fossa threaten them from the ground. There are also many introduced predators such as feral dogs, African cats, European cats, mongooses and civets. However, out of all these creatures, humans are the biggest hazard to the sifaka. Even though it"
"the neck. 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 diademed sifaka is one of the mostly widely distributed member of the genus ""Propithecus"", although definitive mapping of its"
"hairs stretching from beneath the eyes to the cheeks. Its snout is blunt and rounded, and its broad nose helps to distinguish it from other sifakas. Occasionally the bridge of the nose will have a patch of white fur. Similar to other sifakas, this arboreal animal has long, strong legs that enable it to cling and leap between tree trunks and branches. The golden-crowned sifaka lives in dry deciduous, gallery, and semi-evergreen forests and is found at altitudes up to , though it seems to prefer lower elevations. Surveys have shown it to be limited to highly fragmented forests surrounding"
"that the golden-crowned sifaka is indeed a separate species and is more closely related to the ""P. verreauxi"" group. More recently, in 2007 a craniodental (skull and tooth) study provided evidence for 9 or 10 distinct sifaka species, including the golden-crowned sifaka. It also placed the golden-crowned sifaka within the ""P. verreauxi"" group. The golden-crowned sifaka is one of the smallest sifaka species with a weight of , a head-body length of , a tail length of , and total length of . It is comparable in size to the sifakas inhabiting the southern and western dry forests, such as"
"CITES Appendix I. Von der Decken's sifaka Von der Decken's sifaka (""Propithecus deckenii"") is a sifaka endemic to Madagascar. It has a length of 92 to 107 centimeters, of which 42-48 centimeters are tail. Von der Decken's Sifaka lives in western Madagascar. It lives in dry deciduous forest. Its pelage is usually creamy white, with tinges of yellow-gold, silver grey or pale brown on the neck, shoulders, back and limbs. The face is entirely black. Group size is between 2 and 10 individuals, with groups of 3 to 6 most common. The IUCN lists its status as endangered, and it"
"be active at dawn and dusk during the rainy season. It sleeps in tall emergent trees and is preyed upon by the fossa. The golden-crowned sifaka lives in groups of around five to six individuals, containing a balanced number of adult males and females. Scent is used to mark territories, which are defended by growling, chasing, and ritualistic leaping displays. Reproduction is seasonal, with gestation lasting six months and lactation lasting five months. Infants are weaned during the wet season to ensure the best chances of survival. The small range and fragmented populations of this species weigh heavily on its"
"the larger populations are found in protected areas, however much of its range remain relatively unexplored as they are labeled as politically “dangerous” zones. The 2009 Malagasy political crisis led to lawlessness across Madagascar and ultimately led to increased poaching of the sifaka for food as a delicacy in restaurants. As of 2014 there is only one successful captive breeding population of crowned sifaka in the Paris Zoological Park in Paris, France. Crowned sifaka The crowned sifaka (""Propithecus coronatus"") is a sifaka endemic to western Madagascar. It is of comparable size to the Golden-crowned sifaka and up to a meter"
"Betsiboka River and extending south to the region of highly fragmented forests around the Tsiribihina River, Mahajilo River, and Mania River. Total population size in 2014 was estimated as 4,000-36,000 individuals, at densities of 46-309 individuals/km in different-sized forest fragments, with an average group size of 2-8 individuals per group. Estimates remain uncertain since only part of the range has been surveyed so far. Total area of occupancy is thought to be 2,690-4,493 km. The crowned sifaka is a diurnal animal, primarily active during the day. It spends a majority of its time resting with the remainder mostly devoted to"
"and of a large lemur-like creature known as ""kidoky""; a report of the interviews was published in 1998 with encouragement from primatologist Alison Jolly and anthropologist Laurie Godfrey. In one interview, an 85-year-old man named Jean Noelson Pascou recounted seeing the rare ""kidoky"" up close in 1952. Pascou said that the animal looks similar to a sifaka, but had a human-like face, and was ""the size of a seven-year-old girl"". It had dark fur and a discernible white spot both on the forehead and below the mouth. According to Pascou, it was a shy animal that fled on the ground"
"a patch of orange on its crown and tufted ears. It was not observed again until 1986, when a team led by paleoanthropologist Elwyn L. Simons captured specimens for captive breeding and identified it as a new species, named as the golden-crowned sifaka (""Propithecus tattersalli"") in 1988. The silky sifaka is confined to a small region of northeastern Madagascar within a strip of humid forest stretching from Maroantsetra in the south to the Andapa Basin and the Marojejy Massif in the north. Marojejy National Park represents the northern limit of its current distribution, although historical sifaka range maps created by"
"specimens for captive breeding. The golden-crowned sifaka most closely resembles the western forest sifakas of the ""P. verreauxi"" group, yet its karyotype suggests a closer relationship with the ""P. diadema"" group of eastern forest sifakas. Despite the similarities with both groups, more recent studies of its karyotype support its classification as a distinct species. Found in gallery, deciduous, and semi-evergreen forest, its restricted range includes 44 forest fragments, totaling an area of , centered on the town of Daraina in northeast Madagascar. Its estimated population is 18,000 individuals. It is primarily active during the day, although it also tends to"
"Verreaux's sifaka, group sex ratios are more evenly balanced, consisting of two or more members of both sexes. Females are dominant within the group, and only one female breeds successfully each season. Males will roam between groups during the mating season. Because of their smaller home ranges relative to other sifakas, group encounters are slightly more common, occurring a few times a month. It has been noted that the temperament of the golden-crowned sifaka is more volatile than that of other sifaka species and, in the case of a dispute, this animal frequently emits a grunt-like vocalization that seems to"
"of arboreal locomotion known as vertical clinging and leaping. Dominance hierarchies have not been documented among female sifakas, including the silky sifaka, although seasonal hierarchies are known to occur. Aggression, which is generally infrequent, occurs primarily during feeding, where females take priority over males, although submissive signals are not always obvious. The silky sifaka's diet is similar to that of other eastern rainforest sifakas, consisting primarily of leaves (folivory) and seeds (seed predation). It is highly varied and includes many plant species. A two-month study from the mid-2000s showed that the silky sifaka can feed on as many as 76"
"Von der Decken's sifaka Von der Decken's sifaka (""Propithecus deckenii"") is a sifaka endemic to Madagascar. It has a length of 92 to 107 centimeters, of which 42-48 centimeters are tail. Von der Decken's Sifaka lives in western Madagascar. It lives in dry deciduous forest. Its pelage is usually creamy white, with tinges of yellow-gold, silver grey or pale brown on the neck, shoulders, back and limbs. The face is entirely black. Group size is between 2 and 10 individuals, with groups of 3 to 6 most common. The IUCN lists its status as endangered, and it is listed in"
"a 14-month study and two short-term studies in Marojejy National Park have revealed previously unknown details about its behavioral biology, communication, and feeding ecology. The silky sifaka has a variable social structure and is known to live in male-female pairs, one-male groups, and multiple-male/multiple-female groups. Group sizes range from two to nine individuals, while the home ranges are estimated to range from , varying in size by location. According to some studies, the silky sifaka spends most of its day resting and feeding (about 44 and 25%, respectively). It also devotes approximately 6.8% of the day to social behavior, such"
"into a high-amplitude """"whinney""."" Its ground predator alarm call, which sounds like """"shē-fäk"""", closely resembles that of Verreaux's sifaka. It also emits mobbing alarm calls in response to birds of prey. The diet of the golden-crowned sifaka consists of a wide variety of plants—as many as 80 species—whose availability varies based on the season. It is a seed predator, making seeds a year-round staple in its diet when available. The golden-crowned sifaka also eats unripe fruits, flowers, and leaves. One study showed a diet composition of 37% unripe fruit and seeds, 22% immature leaves, 17% mature leaves, 13% flowers, and"
"signal annoyance. Aggressive interactions between groups are generally non-physical but include loud growling, territorial marking, chasing, and ritualistic leaping displays. Same-sexed individuals act most aggressively towards each other during such encounters. Scent marking is the most common form of territorial defense, with scent marks acting as ""signposts"" to demarcate territorial boundaries. Females use glands in the genital regions (""anogenital"") while males use both anogenital and chest glands. The golden-crowned sifaka is a seasonal breeder, often mating during the last week of January. Its gestation period is a little less than six months, and its lactation period is five months. Research"
"to threaten enemies and intruders. Coquerel's sifaka is highly territorial. Contact calls used when groups are traveling include soft grunts and growls. If a sifaka is separated from its group members, it may emit a long, loud wail to find them. One visual signal which Coquerel's sifaka uses to communicate is a rapid backward jerking of the head. This is a threatening action which may accompany the ""shih-""fak"""" call. Sifakas also rely heavily on scent for communication. Males typically scent-mark using a gland in their throats, which they will rub back and forth along branches. Females are more likely to"
"a shifting cultivation system. Returns from such land use are usually meager, yielding small amounts of charcoal, firewood or grass crop for grazing of zebu. The diademed sifaka and four other sifaka species form a tight species group within the genus ""Propithecus"". The other four species are Milne-Edwards' sifaka (""Propithecus edwardsi""), Perrier's sifaka (""P. perrieri""), the golden-crowned sifaka, (""P. tattersalli""), and the silky sifaka (""P. 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"
"having brown-stained chests, the only visible trait that can be used to distinguish between adult males and adult females. The species is only found within a few protected areas in the rainforests of northeastern Madagascar, with the majority of the remaining population in Marojejy National Park and Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve. A few groups have also been found in the Makira Forest Protected Area, the Betaolana Corridor, and some unprotected forest fragments. The silky sifaka is hunted throughout its range as no local ""fady"" (taboo) exists against eating this species. Habitat disturbance, such as slash-and-burn agriculture (""tavy""), illegal logging of precious"
"large-bodied, eastern-rainforest sifakas. The other three members of this group are the diademed sifaka, Perrier's sifaka, and Milne-Edwards' sifaka (""Propithecus edwardsi""). The species status of the silky sifaka, as well as other sifakas, does not have universal support: in 2007, Tattersall argued against species distinctions within ""Propithecus"", claiming the decisions were made prematurely. In 1974, Tattersall spotted what he thought was a color variant of the silky sifaka north of Vohemar in northeast Madagascar. Describing it as such eight years later in ""The Primates of Madagascar"", he not only cited its mostly white fur, but also uncharacteristic traits such as"
"while fruit-eating accounted for 34%, and seed predation made up 11%. The consumption of flowers, as well as soil (geophagy), was rarely observed in this study. Prior to this, preliminary studies had reported that folivory accounted for 75% of the diet, while fruits and 15% was seed predation, 7% was flower consumption, and bark and soil made up the remainder. Like all other lemurs, the silky sifaka is a seasonal breeder, and are thought to mate only one day a year during the start of the rainy season sometime in December or January. Infants are born six months later in"
"primates in 2000. Previously, in 1992, the IUCN's Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) Primate Specialist Group also assigned the species its highest priority rating. As of its 2014 assessment, the golden-crowned sifaka is once again ""Critically Endangered"" on the IUCN Red List. This was an upgrade from 2008 when it was listed as ""Endangered"". In previous assessments it was listed as ""Critically Endangered"" (1996 and 2000) and ""Endangered"" (1990 and 1994). The area inhabited by the golden-crowned sifaka is also an important agricultural and economical resource for the human population. Suggested conservation action aimed at protecting this species and its habitat"
"Perrier's sifakas contribute most of their feeding time, about 70 to 90 percent of it, to fruits and seeds, but in the dry season most of the species feeding time is spent on leaves and flowers. Perrier's sifakas use vocalizations to communicate including warning calls and have even been observed to make a sound described as sneezing. Sifakas have groups between 2 and 6 individuals. Dispersal of sex is unbiased, which is uncommon among most species. Aggression between groups is extremely low as well as the overall encounter rates between groups. Society is largely matriarchal and females have feeding priority."