Ankarana Sportive Lemur, Ankarana dry forest, Madagascar
What a wonderful surprise in the morning walk of our 2nd day in Ankarana. We weren't even aware of this species occurring here, yet here it is.
I have some small reservations about the species ID. The guide was quite an expert and was clear about it. A visual comparison checks out well enough, and the range matches closely. Still if I look into the dire state of this species (some claiming there's only a few dozen left), I'm thinking either we got extremely lucky, or there is the possibility this is another species.
Update: based on our guide I identified this as as the Northern Sportive Lemur. After consulting with Nick Garbutt, I learned that this is the old taxonomy. The new situation is that the Ankarana lemur species are considered the Ankarana Sportive Lemur, whilst the Norther Sportive Lemur is a species not found in Ankarana.
The Ankarana sportive lemur, or Ankarana weasel lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. It is one of the smaller sportive lemurs with a total length of about 53 centimeters, including 25 centimeters of tail. Average body weight is approximately 750 grams. The Ankarana sportive lemur is found in northern Madagascar, living in dry lowland forests in Ankarana, Andrafiamena and Analamerana, and in moist montane forest of Montagne d'Ambre.
