One of the 3 sifakas on WAnimals
Mammals · Primates · Indriidae
Coquerel's Sifaka
Propithecus coquereli
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
Coquerel's sifaka is a white lemur with large chestnut patches on the thighs and arms, native to the dry forests of north-western Madagascar. It lives in small groups with female dominance, a trait common to lemurs and very rare among primates. It is a vertical clinger and leaper: it moves by gripping vertical trunks and launching itself from one to the next with its hind legs. It eats leaves, flowers, bark and unripe fruit, including some that are toxic to other animals.
Weight
3.7 kg – 4.3 kg
Size
42 cm – 50 cm
Lifespan
27 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Family group
Lives in small family groups with close bonds.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- GeneralIt moves in upright leaps from tree to tree of as much as 6 metres.
- On the ground it does not walk on all fours: it advances in sideways hops on its hind legs with its arms held high, a movement that looks like a dance and that makes it unmistakable.
- It can launch itself several metres from one trunk to another in a single leap, always landing upright.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Dry forest and transitional woodland
- Birth weight
- Born with its eyes open, clinging to its mother's fur from the first day
- Size at birth
- Born with its eyes open, clinging to its mother's fur from the first day
- Sexual maturity
- 3 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 5 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propithecus_coquereli
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year in the dry forests of north-western Madagascar, by day; in Ankarafantsika it is easy to watch leaping between vertical trunks.
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Coquerel's Sifaka — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Verreaux's Sifaka
Propithecus verreauxi
Milne-Edward's Sifaka
Propithecus edwardsi
Critically EndangeredIndri
Indri indri
Brown Lemur
Eulemur fulvus
Aye-aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis
Mongoose Lemur
Eulemur mongoz
How to help
The coquerel's sifaka is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about coquerel's sifaka.
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