Blue-eyed Black Lemurs | Blog 2

 Blue-Eyed Black Lemur

Eulemur flavifrons

Four-year-old male, Haja (left) and nine-year-old female, Olanna (right), two blue-eyed black lemurs at the Bristol Zoo in England.

Geographic Range

The geographic range of the blue-eyed black lemur is rather limited and generally centered on the Sahamalaza Peninsula on the northwest coast of Madagascar within the Ankarafa Forest and the adjacent mainland. The population found on the mainland are relatively confined within a narrow strip of forest that stretches from Befotaka to the Manongarivo mountains. To the south, they are typically found within the boundaries of the Maevarano and Sandrakota Rivers, with the Maevarano serving as the southern border and the Sandrakota serving as the eastern boundary. Parts of the Andranomalaza River serve as the northern boundary. Eastward, their range also falls within the boundary of the Sandrakota River. The mean population density in the eastern portion of their range is 24 individuals/km^2. There are roughly 60 individuals/km^2 distributed throughout the Ankarafa Forest. 


A map of Madagascar depicting the general geographic range of the Blue-eyed black lemur.

Habitat Use & Ranging 

Blue-eyed black lemurs live in primary and secondary, tropical and/or sub-humid forest environments, particularly those near the Sambirano river.  More specifically, they can be found within the "transition zone" of the northern Sambirano region and the dry, deciduous forest to the south. The climate in this area follows the following pattern: a dry season from May to October, with August having the coolest temperatures on average, followed by a rainy season from November to April, with November having the warmest temperatures on average and the most rain falling between January and February. Annually, the region sees about 1,600 mm (roughly 63 in) of precipitation, with a temperature range of 20.6-32.0 degrees Celsius, or 69-90 degrees Fahrenheit. The elevation ranges between 0-1,200 m, or 0-3,937 feet. 


The Sambirano River in Diana, Madagascar.

The ranges of each blue-eyed black lemur social group are small, which is characteristic of individuals living in primary forests. Those living in secondary forests will have much larger ranges. It is not uncommon for one group's range to overlap with another's. Range sizes will be influenced by the rainy seasons and habitat degradation, whether due to natural or anthropogenic events. 

Locomotion

Blue-eyed black lemurs are arboreal quadrupeds, utilizing their locomotion pattern to walk along and leap from branch to branch as they forage throughout the day. If not in the trees, they may walk bipedally for short bursts. Their daily path may stretch between 48.1-2,707.6 m, or 0.03-1.7 mi. They will travel farther during the dry seasons, as food resources will be more scarce. 


A male blue-eyed black lemur walking quadrupedally along a tree branch.

Ecology 

Blue-eyed black lemurs are cathemeral, meaning they may be active during the day and/or night, though it is more common for this species to be active during the day. Increases in nocturnal activity have been observed in individuals living in the degraded, secondary forest regions of their typical range. They are most active during the transitional periods of the day, at dawn and dusk. Groups of blue-eyed black lemurs will band together in designated rest areas once night falls, sleeping with their tails curled around their bodies. Sometimes, they will huddle close together. 


A female blue-eyed black lemur with a Campsis radicans flower.

Blue-eyed black lemurs are primarily herbivores and frugivores, typically consuming a combination of leaves, flowers, buds, nectar, seeds, and fruits. To sustain their diet, these lemurs rely on roughly 37 different plant species from 23 families. Occasionally, they will eat insects, very small lizards, fungi, or even participate in geophagy, when necessary. If consuming fungi or soil, it will most likely be during their rare excursions onto the ground as they forage through leaf litter. Leaves, insects, fungi, and soil can be considered "fallback" foods for these lemurs, especially in distributed habitats.  

They feed themselves by using their hands to pick up their food, using their "cheek-teeth" to tear into fruits, leaves, flowers, etc. in small bites. The tooth comb is not used for feeding. When consuming larger fruits, they may use both hands to hold the fruit while biting into it. 


References

Duke Lemur Center staff. (n.d.). Blue-Eyed Black Lemur. Duke Lemur Center. https://lemur.duke.edu/discover/meet-the-lemurs/blue-eyed-black-lemur/

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

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 

Hoffmeister, D., Kaumanns, W., Schwitzer, C., Scwitzer, N. (2007). Habitat Utilization of Blue-Eyed Black Lemurs, Eulemur macaco flavifrons (Gray, 1867) in Primary and Altered Forest Fragments. Primate Conservation 22(1), 79-87. https://doi.org/10.1896/052.022.0106 


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