Common brown lemur

{{Short description|Species of lemur}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Speciesbox | name = Common brown lemur | image = Common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) male.jpg | image_caption = Male | image2 = Common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) female with juvenile.jpg | image2_caption = Female with juvenile both in Peyrieras, Madagascar | status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Irwin, M. |author2=King, T. |date=2020 |title=''Eulemur fulvus'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T8207A115562499 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T8207A115562499.en}}</ref> | status2 = CITES_A1 | status2_system = CITES | status2_ref = <ref>{{cite web | url = http://checklist.cites.org/#/en/search/scientific_name=Eulemur | title = Checklist of CITES Species | website = CITES | publisher = UNEP-WCMC | access-date = 18 March 2015}}</ref> | taxon = Eulemur fulvus | authority = É. Geoffroy, 1796<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Groves | pages = 115| id=12100040}}</ref> | synonyms = {{plainlist| *''bruneus'' van der Hoeven, 1844 *''mayottensis'' Schlegel, 1866}} | range_map = Eulemur fulvus range map.svg | range_map_caption = Distribution of ''E. fulvus'':<ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021" />{{Clear}}'''{{color|#e41a1c|red}}''' = native, '''{{color|#4daf4a|green}}''' = introduced }}

The '''common brown lemur''' ('''''Eulemur fulvus''''') is a species of lemur in the family Lemuridae. It is found in Madagascar and has been introduced to Mayotte.<ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021" />

==Taxonomy== Five additional currently recognized species of lemur were until 2001 considered subspecies of ''E. fulvus''.<ref name=mitt3>{{cite book|title=Lemurs of Madagascar|edition=2nd|author=Russell Mittermeier|year=2006|isbn=1-881173-88-7|display-authors=etal |publisher=Conservation International }}</ref>{{rp|251}} These are:

*White-fronted brown lemur, ''E. albifrons'' *Gray-headed lemur, ''E. cinereiceps'' *Collared brown lemur, ''E. collaris'' *Red-fronted brown lemur, ''E. rufus'' *Sanford's brown lemur, ''E. sanfordi''

However, a number of zoologists believe that ''E. albifrons'' and ''E. rufus'' should continue to be considered subspecies of ''E. fulvus''.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|251}}

==Physical description== The common brown lemur has a total length of {{convert|84|to|101|cm|in|abbr=on}}, including {{convert|41|to|51|cm|in|abbr=on}} of tail.<ref name=mad>{{cite book|title=Mammals of Madagascar|url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsmadagasca00garb_046|url-access=limited|author=Nick Garbutt|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mammalsmadagasca00garb_046/page/n151 155]–156|year=2007|publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-12550-4}}</ref> Weight ranges from {{convert|2|to|3|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=mad/> Common brown lemurs are unique amongst ''Eulemur'' in that they exhibit little-to-no sexual dichromatism: in both males and females, the face, muzzle and crown are dark gray or black, with white or tan "cheeks" of varying thickness. Some individuals may have pale-colored eyebrow patches, and the eyes are almost always a deep orange-red. The short, dense fur of the body is primarily brown or gray-brown, with a lighter gray or tan underside. The fur on the back of their hands is often a medium orange or reddish color, and their long, bushy tail may either be similar in color to the dorsal pelage or, more commonly, a darker shade of gray, black, or brown.<ref name=mad/>

Due to the species' history of containing all fellow brown lemurs as subspecies, they are very commonly misidentified in images and texts, and often confused with other species (such as red-fronted lemurs and gray-headed lemurs) or with various other unrelated hybrids.

Similar lemur species within their range include the mongoose lemur (''E. mongoz'') in the west and the red-bellied lemur (''E. rubriventer'') in the east.<ref name=mad/> They can be distinguished from these species by the fact that ''E. mongoz'' is more of a grey color and ''E. rubriventer'' is more reddish. There is also some overlap with the black lemur in northeast Madagascar in the Galoko, Manongarivo and Tsaratanana Massifs.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|288}} There is also overlap and hybridization with the white-fronted brown lemur, ''E. albifrons'', in the northeast portion of the common brown lemur's range.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|282}}

==Behavior== Consistent with its large range, the common brown lemur occupies a variety of forest types, including lowland rainforests, montane rainforests, moist evergreen forests and dry deciduous forests.<ref name=mad/> They spend about 95% of their time in upper layers of the forest and less than 2% of their time on the ground.<ref name=pic/>

They normally live in groups of 5 to 12, but group size can be larger, especially on Mayotte.<ref name=mad/> Groups occupy home ranges of 1 to 9 hectares in the west, but more than 20 hectares in the east.<ref name="perspective">{{cite book|title=Primates in Perspective | chapter = Lemuriformes |author1=Lisa Gould |author2=Michelle Sauther |editor1=Christina J. Campbell |editor2=Agustin Fuentes |editor2-link=Agustin Fuentes |editor3=Katherine C. MacKinnon |editor4=Melissa Panger |editor5=Simon K. Bearder |year=2007|page=53| publisher = Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-517133-4}}</ref> Groups include members of both sexes, including juveniles, and there are no discernible dominance hierarchies.<ref name=mad/>

They are primarily active during the day, but can exhibit cathemeral activity and continue into the night, especially during full moons<ref name=mad/> and during the dry season.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|272–274}}<ref name=ecology>{{cite book|title=Primate Ecology and Social Structure Volume 1: Lorises, Lemurs and Tarsiers|author=Robert W. Sussman|pages=[https://archive.org/details/primateecologyso0001suss/page/186 186–187]|year=1999|publisher=Pearson Custom Pub. |isbn=0-536-02256-9|url=https://archive.org/details/primateecologyso0001suss/page/186}}</ref>

In the western part of its range, the common brown lemur overlaps that of the mongoose lemur, and the two species sometimes travel together.<ref name=pic/> In the areas of overlap, the two species also adapt their activity patterns to avoid conflict.<ref name=ecology/> For example, the mongoose lemur can become primarily nocturnal during the dry season in the areas of overlap.

At Berenty (south Madagascar) there is a population of introduced ''E. fulvus rufus'' x ''collaris''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ringtailed Lemur Biology: Lemur catta in Madagascar| chapter = Berenty Reserve: a research site in southern Madagascar |author1=Alison Jolly |author2=Naoki Koyama |author3=Hantanirina Rasamimanana |author4=Helen Crowley |author5=George Williams | editor = A. Jolly |editor2=R. W. Sussman |editor3=N. Koyama |editor4=H. Rasamimanana| year=2006|pages=32–42| publisher = Springer |isbn=0-387-32669-3}}</ref> These lemurs show linear hierarchy, adult female dominance, and the presence of conciliatory behavior after aggressions.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Norscia, I. |author2=Palagi, E. | title = Do wild brown lemurs reconcile? Not always |year= 2010| journal = Journal of Ethology| doi = 10.1007/s10164-010-0228-y | volume = 29 | pages = 181–185|s2cid=45324039 }}</ref> Additionally, stress levels (measured via self-directed behaviors) decrease at the increase of the hierarchical position of individuals within the social group and reconciliation is able to bring stress down to the baseline levels.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Palagi, E. |author2=Norscia, I. | title = Scratching around stress: hierarchy and reconciliation make the difference in wild brown lemurs ''Eulemur fulvus''|year= 2010| journal = Stress| doi = 10.3109/10253890.2010.505272 | pmid = 20666657 | volume = 14 |issue=1 | pages = 93–7|s2cid=21758712 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

===Reproduction=== The common brown lemur's mating season is May and June.<ref name=mad/> After a gestation period of about 120 days, the young are born in September and October.<ref name=mad/> Single births are most common, but twins have been reported.<ref name=mad/> The young are weaned after about 4 to 5 months.<ref name=mad/><ref name=pic/> Sexual maturity occurs at about 18 months,<ref name=mad/> and females give birth to their first young at 2 years old.<ref name=pic/> Life span can be as long as 30+ years.<ref name=pic/>

==Ecology== ===Diet=== The common brown lemur's diet consists primarily of fruits, young leaves, and flowers.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|272–274}} In some locations it eats invertebrates, such as cicadas,<ref name=mad/> spiders<ref name=mad/> and millipedes.<ref name=pic>{{cite book|title=The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates|url=https://archive.org/details/pictorialguideto0000rowe|url-access=registration|author=Noel Rowe|page=[https://archive.org/details/pictorialguideto0000rowe/page/40 40]|year=1996|publisher=Pogonias Press |isbn=0-9648825-0-7}}</ref> It also eats bark, sap, soil and red clay (see geophagy).<ref name=pic/> It can tolerate greater levels of toxic compounds from plants than other lemurs can.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|272–274}}<ref name=pic/>

The common brown lemur from a Brazilian zoo was found to be a host of an intestinal acanthocephalan parasitic worm,''Pachysentis dollfusi''. It is unknown if the worm originates from Brazil or Madagascar.<ref name="Gomes 2019">{{Cite journal | doi=10.2478/s11686-019-00080-6| title=A New Species of ''Pachysentis'' Meyer, 1931 (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) in the Brown-Nosed Coati ''Nasua nasua'' (Carnivora: Procyonidae) from Brazil, with Notes on the Genus and a Key to Species| year=2019| last1=Gomes| first1=Ana Paula N.| last2=Amin| first2=Omar M.| last3=Olifiers| first3=Natalie| last4=Bianchi| first4=Rita de Cassia| last5=Souza| first5=Joyce G. R.| last6=Barbosa| first6=Helene S.| last7=Maldonado| first7=Arnaldo| journal=Acta Parasitologica| volume=64| issue=3| pages=587–595| pmid=31286360| pmc=6814649}}</ref>

==Distribution== The common brown lemur lives in western Madagascar north of the Betsiboka River and eastern Madagascar between the Mangoro River and Tsaratanana, as well as in inland Madagascar connecting the eastern and western ranges.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|272–274}} They also live on the island of Mayotte, although this population has been introduced there by man.<ref name=mitt3/>{{rp|272–274}}

==References== {{Commons category|Eulemur fulvus}} {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Common Brown Lemur}} Category:True lemurs Category:Arboreal mammals Category:Mammals described in 1796 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Taxa named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire