Animal Activities #30
When we think of primates, we often take them for big animals like gorillas. Not knowing there are other tiny ones like Madame Berthe's mouse lemur.
It's named after Madame Berthe Rakotosamimanana, a Malagasy primatologist. She served as an indicator species for the health of Madagascar's dry forest ecosystems.
This species is known to be the smallest primate in the world. It also plays an important role in the forest ecosystems, although threatened by human activities.
| Animal Description |
|---|
The mouse lemur is really small, much like a human thumb. It has big round eyes, brownish grey fur and a long thin tail.
| Habitat |
|---|
It's mostly found in the forest, and they make their houses in tree holes, where they sleep during the day.
| Behaviour |
|---|
They usually sleep during the day and stay awake at night to gather their food. It can jump and move faster. If threatened, it runs to hide or stays still to avoid being caught.
| Nutrition |
|---|
The mouse lemur is known to be an omnivore. It feeds on insects, fruits and other smaller animals.
| Ecological importance |
|---|
Madame Berthe's mouse lemur may seem tiny and less important, but as contributed so much to the growth of the ecosystem.
It helps in pollination, while moving from flower to flower in search of food.
It helps to spread seeds after eating fruits, and new plants are introduced to certain areas.
It helps to control the insect population to maintain the balance of the ecosystem.
| Endangered Status |
|---|
Due to human activities like deforestation, the homes of this mouse lemur have been destroyed.
Climate change is also another factor affecting them. Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is listed as an endangered species. Which means if we don't protect them, they may be wiped out from the Earth's surface.
The mouse lemur may be small, but it has an important role to play. We shouldn't try to endanger them; rather, we should try to protect them.
I'm inviting @imohmitch, @samuelbrilliant and @mr-peng to participate...
Cc,
@xkool24
Posted with Speem
https://x.com/Promisezella/status/1951413486199713929
It's fantastic. I've always wanted to see a lemur, even if only in photographs. It's a beautiful specimen. It's rare to see one in daylight, as they are rather nocturnal.
As you say, it's one of the oldest primates in the evolutionary line, and its role is fundamental to the ecosystem. It's a shame that such a beautiful and beneficial species for humans is in danger of extinction.
Thank you for such an interesting post.
Yeah
It's really an amazing creature which we need to protect
Is this your pet?
Not actually @alejos7ven
It fell down from a tree close to my house
It was unable to run, so I brought it to the house and kept it until it was able to move again.
Then I returned it to the bush and it ran away.