First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation
Mouse lemurs Microcebus spp. are small, nocturnal primates endemic to Madagascar. The genus is extraordinarily diverse, with 25 extant species, several of which have been described recently. The Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra was first described in 2006, but, similarly to...
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| author | Luke D. Martin Herison Razafimanantsoa Eva S. Nomenjanahary Sylviane Volampeno Alison M. Behie |
| author_facet | Luke D. Martin Herison Razafimanantsoa Eva S. Nomenjanahary Sylviane Volampeno Alison M. Behie |
| author_sort | Luke D. Martin |
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| description | Mouse lemurs Microcebus spp. are small, nocturnal primates endemic to Madagascar. The genus is extraordinarily diverse, with 25 extant species, several of which have been described recently. The Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra was first described in 2006, but, similarly to other newly described mouse lemurs, remains understudied, and estimates of its population size are unavailable, hampering effective conservation management. We conducted line transect distance sampling surveys of M. mamiratra across several habitat types in and around Lokobe National Park on the island of Nosy Be in north-western Madagascar. Using a systematic random design we surveyed 15 transects over a 6-week period in 2023, recording 92 detections from a total survey effort of 46.5 km. We estimate the density of M. mamiratra on Nosy Be to be 125.1 individuals/km2, which extrapolates to an estimate of c. 4,700 individuals across the forested areas of its range on the island. Our results indicate that Nosy Be harbours moderately high densities of M. mamiratra, with the highest encounter rates in the unprotected secondary and degraded forests around Lokobe National Park. Our population estimate will inform future conservation status assessments and conservation planning for this range-restricted species and provide a baseline for monitoring population changes over time. We present recommendations for the conservation of M. mamiratra and highlight the potential for lemur watching, sustained by the strong tourism industry on Nosy Be, to help protect lemur habitat and generate economic opportunities for local communities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-829a1604766a453abc7af51232dd79f1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| spelling | doaj-art-829a1604766a453abc7af51232dd79f12025-01-27T11:05:33ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-300811010.1017/S0030605324000772First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservationLuke D. Martin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4624-6415Herison Razafimanantsoa1Eva S. Nomenjanahary2Sylviane Volampeno3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6392-0187Alison M. Behie4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7436-3694The Australian National University, Canberra, AustraliaUniversity of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, MadagascarUniversity of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, MadagascarMikajy Natiora Association, Antananarivo, MadagascarThe Australian National University, Canberra, AustraliaMouse lemurs Microcebus spp. are small, nocturnal primates endemic to Madagascar. The genus is extraordinarily diverse, with 25 extant species, several of which have been described recently. The Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra was first described in 2006, but, similarly to other newly described mouse lemurs, remains understudied, and estimates of its population size are unavailable, hampering effective conservation management. We conducted line transect distance sampling surveys of M. mamiratra across several habitat types in and around Lokobe National Park on the island of Nosy Be in north-western Madagascar. Using a systematic random design we surveyed 15 transects over a 6-week period in 2023, recording 92 detections from a total survey effort of 46.5 km. We estimate the density of M. mamiratra on Nosy Be to be 125.1 individuals/km2, which extrapolates to an estimate of c. 4,700 individuals across the forested areas of its range on the island. Our results indicate that Nosy Be harbours moderately high densities of M. mamiratra, with the highest encounter rates in the unprotected secondary and degraded forests around Lokobe National Park. Our population estimate will inform future conservation status assessments and conservation planning for this range-restricted species and provide a baseline for monitoring population changes over time. We present recommendations for the conservation of M. mamiratra and highlight the potential for lemur watching, sustained by the strong tourism industry on Nosy Be, to help protect lemur habitat and generate economic opportunities for local communities.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000772/type/journal_articleClaire's mouse lemurdensity estimatedistance samplinglemur conservationline transect surveyLokobe National ParkMadagascarMicrocebus mamiratra |
| spellingShingle | Luke D. Martin Herison Razafimanantsoa Eva S. Nomenjanahary Sylviane Volampeno Alison M. Behie First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation Oryx Claire's mouse lemur density estimate distance sampling lemur conservation line transect survey Lokobe National Park Madagascar Microcebus mamiratra |
| title | First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation |
| title_full | First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation |
| title_fullStr | First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation |
| title_short | First density estimates of the Endangered Claire's mouse lemur Microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation |
| title_sort | first density estimates of the endangered claire s mouse lemur microcebus mamiratra and recommendations for its conservation |
| topic | Claire's mouse lemur density estimate distance sampling lemur conservation line transect survey Lokobe National Park Madagascar Microcebus mamiratra |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000772/type/journal_article |
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