Avahi laniger
Eastern Wooly Lemur

Avahi laniger^P1

Identification

Avahi laniger is a greyish brown. The most distinctive mark is a white stripe on the thigh. They are the only nocturnal Indrid.

Avahi laniger at RNP

There are probably many groups of A. l. within the Talatakely trail system, however they are not active during the day. Finding them is often a matter of luck.

Physical Characteristics

Head & Body Length	27cm	29cm
Tail Length	33-37cm
Weight (Kappeler, 1991)	1.0kg	1.3kg

Life History

Avahi laniger mate in April and give birth Aug-Sep. Infants ride on the mother's belly for a week and then cling to the back for 3-4 months. Infants are weaned at 5 months.

Locomotion

A.l. resting^P2

Locomotion is by vertical clinging and leaping.

Diet & Feeding

Avahi laniger is primarily folivorous, but also eats flowers, and occasionally fruit and bark.

Food sharing

Activity Pattern

Avahi laniger is nocturnal. They leave their sleep site around 17:45 and return (often to the same place) around 05:30. They are most active just after dusk and just before dawn. They take a long siesta around midnight. Occasionally they will start feeding an hour before sunset and continue an hour or two after dawn. (Ganzhorn et al, 1985)

Predators

Raptors

A Goshawk (Accipiter henstii) has been observed to eat an Avahi. (Goodman et al, 1993). A Serpent-eagle (Eutriorchis astur) has also (Pat Wright, personal communication, observed by Loret Rasabo, 1996).

Owls

An owl pellet has been recovered which either contains the remains of an Avahi or a Hapalemur griseus griseus.

Man

Behavior

Dominance

A. laniger^P3

Social structure

Groups are monogamous pairs and their off-spring. Group size 2-5.

The home range area is about 2.1ha. Night range 300-620m.

Territoriality

Ranges are non-overlapping.

Play

A. laniger at night^P4

Vocalizations

Long distance call: high pitched whistle
Alarm call: "Aha Hy"

Scent Marks

Occasionally will rub their chin and throat against a branch. (Ganzhorn et al, 1985)

Other Behaviors

Geographic Range

Avahi laniger is found in the rainforests of the east coast of Madagascar. (Mittermeier et al, 1994).

Taxonomy

Mammalia -> Primata (Strepsirrhini, Lemuriformes) -> (Indrioidea)Indriidae -> Avahi laniger

The species A. laniger used to be divided into two sub-species (and still is by some), but recently A. occidentalis has been promoted to a species in its own right. (Rumpler et al, 1990)

Ganzhorn, JV, et al, 1985 "Some aspects of the natural history and food selection of Avahi laniger", Primates, 26(4), 452-463

Goodman, SM, O'Conner S, Langrand O, 1993 "A review of predation on lemurs: Implications for the evolution of social behavior in small, nocturnal primates", Lemur Social Systems and their Ecological Basis, 51-66

Harcourt C., 1991"Diet and behavior of a Nocturnal lemur, Avahi laniger in the wild", Journal of Zoology, 223: 667-674

Harcourt CS, 1987, "Ecology and Behavior of Avahi laniger", International Journal of Primatology, 8:(5) 501

Kappeler, PM, 1991, "Patterns of sexual dimorphism in body weight among prosimian primates", Folia Primatologica, 57:132-146

Mittermeier, Russell et al, 1994, The Lemurs of Madagascar, Conservation International

Rowe, Noel, 1996, The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates, Pogonias Press

Rumpler, Y, et al, 1990 "Chromosomal evolution in Malagasy lemurs, XII chromosomal banding study of Avahi laniger occidentalis (syn: Lichanotus laniger occidentalis) and cytogenetic data in favor of its classification in a species apart- Avahi occidentalis", American Journal of Primatology 21(4) 307-316

U.S. Congress, 1973, "Threatened and Endangered Wildlife and Plants", U.S. Endangered Species Act

A.l. resting^P5

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