Blue-eyed Black Lemurs | Blog 1

 Blue-Eyed Black Lemur

Eulemur flavifrons

Olanna (left) and Haja (right), two blue-eyed black lemurs at the Bristol Zoo in England.

Taxonomy

Suborder: Strepsirrhini 
Family: Lemuridae 
Genus: Eulemur 
Species: Eulemur flavifrons or Eulemur macaco flavifrons 
Common Name: Blue-eyed black lemur 
Additional Names: Sclater's Black Lemur, Sclater's Lemur,  
Akomba, Akomba sy Manga Maso


A partial taxonomic relationship diagram/phylogenetic tree of the Blue-eyed black lemur.

Morphology

Blue-eyed black lemurs are sexually dimorphic and are considered the most sexually dichromatic primates in Madagascar. Males are typically monochromatic, having one, very dark fur color throughout their bodies. This color is usually black, but can be a dark brown as well, with black hands and feet. Females are slightly more colorful, having an orange and cream-colored base fur coat, with russet coloring along their appendages and "masks" around their faces, and grey or brown hands and feet. Infants are born with light black coats, regardless of sex. Both sexes have striking, bright blue eyes, from which the species' common name is derived. The iris color is almost always blue, though variations in hue do occur, with most ranging from a muted blueish-grey to the vivid sky blue exhibited by most individuals. Some can even have light green or grey eyes. 

Fun Fact: Other than humans, blue-eyed black lemurs are the only primates with blue iris pigmentation!


A female Blue-eyed black lemur.

They are mid-sized lemurs, with the only species bearing remarkable similarity to them being the Black lemur (Eulemur macaco). Prominent characteristics of the blue-eyed black lemur include their long tails, small ears, slender snouts with wet noses and short whiskers (vibrissae), a grooming claw on their second toe, and horizontal posture. They rely primarily on their sense of smell. Their dental formula, like most members of the Lemuridae family, is 2.1.3.3/2.1.3.3, which includes a tooth comb, helpful for grooming and eating. Generally, their total head and body size is around 39-45 cm (1.3-1.5 ft), with their tails being 51-65 cm (1.7-2.1 ft). On average they weigh around 1.61-2.19 kg (3.6-4.8 lbs). Males and females are generally the same size. 


Blue-eyed black lemur size compared to an average human.

Life History 

Blue-eyed black lemurs typically mate between April and June, with reproduction typically occurring at the start of the dry season. Their gestation period lasts around 120+ days, with most mothers giving birth between late-August and October, occurring at the end of the dry season. Births are usually during the day, producing one infant at a time. It is possible, but very unlikely, that twins will be produced. Females will reproduce every year, with a period of 319-410 days between (consecutive) births. 


A Blue-eyed black lemur infant and mother. 

At infancy, offspring are transported everywhere by clinging to their mothers' bellies, usually for the first three weeks after birth. Other members of the same social group will take turns assisting the mother in caring for her infant, with adult and sometimes juvenile males carrying offspring at times. 

At three to four weeks, infants will ride on their mothers' backs. Their tail fur will begin to lighten in color, though their base fur color will remain indistinguishable between sexes until after 4 weeks. At this point, their olfactory and visual senses begin to develop as they explore their surrounding environment. 


A juvenile female Blue-eyed black lemur with her mother. 

At six to seven weeks, offspring begin to detach themselves from their mothers for short periods of time as well as develop quadrupedal locomotion by walking along tree branches. Their social skills begin to develop around their seventh week as they start to play with other group members. By their tenth week, their locomotive skills have developed enough to walk independently from their mothers and they are able to eat solid foods. They are weaned at 24-28 weeks, almost entirely independent from their mothers at seven months. At this point, adult social and feeding behaviors are frequently engaged in. 

During mating season, males will leave their social group to find partners, leading to an increase in aggression between male individuals as they compete for attention. Females reach their age of first reproduction at around three years old. 

Though their lifespan in the wild is currently unknown, Blue-eyed black lemurs can live up to thirty years under proper human care. 


A family of Blue-eyed black lemurs at Duke Lemur Center. 
Male (left), juvenile (center), female (right).

Conservation Status 

Blue-eyed black lemurs are native to the tropical forests of Madagascar, specifically living between the Sahamalaza Peninsula and the areas of the Andranomalaza River (close to Maromandia), the Maevarano River (close to Befotaka), and the Sandrakota River. 

As of 2018, Blue-eyed black lemurs are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are among the top 25 most endangered primates. There are less than 1,000 mature individuals living in the wild, and this number has been steadily decreasing every year. 


References

Blue-eyed black lemur. Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. (2024, July 16). https://lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/our-animals/mammals/blue-eyed-black-lemur/ 

Garbutt, N. (2023). Handbook of Mammals of Madagascar. Princeton University Press.

Mittermeier, R. A., Ganzhorn, J. U., Konstant, W. R., Glander, K., Tattersall, I., Groves, C. P., Rylands, A. B., Hapke, A., Ratsimbazafy, J., Mayor, M. I., Louis, E. E., Rumpler, Y., Schwitzer, C., & Rasoloarison, R. M. (2008). Lemur diversity in Madagascar. International Journal of Primatology, 29(6), 1607–1656. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-008-9317-y

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library staff. (n.d.). Blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons) fact sheet. LibGuides at International Environment Library Consortium. https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/blue-eyed_black_lemur/summary

Schwitzer, C., Randriatahina, G., Seiler, M., & Volampeno, S. (2018, May 7). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8211/115563094#population 

 

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