ORDER PRIMATES: PRIMATES 145 



Red-tailed Lemur. Hattock (Madagascar) 



LEPILEMUR RUFICAUDATUS Grandidier 



LepilemMr ruficaudatus Grandidier, Rev. Mag. Zool., ser. 2, vol. 19, p. 256, 

 1867 - 1 ("La cote sud-ouest de Madagascar"; type locality restricted by 

 Elliot (1913, vol. 1, pp. 122) to "Morondava, Madagascar.") 



SYNONYMS: Lepilemur dorsalis Gray (1870); L. pallidicauda Gray (1873); 

 Lepidolemur leucopus Major (1894); L. edwardsi Major (1894); L. 

 globiceps Major (1894) ; L. grandidieri Major (1894) ; L. mustelinus 

 rufescens Lorenz-Liburnau (1898). 



FIGS.: Forbes, 1894, vol. 1, pi. 9 (as L. leucopus}] Milne Edwards, Grandidier 

 and Filhol, 1897, pi. 256 (as L. m. var. dorsalis), pi. 257, pi. 258 (as L. m. 

 var. leucopus), pi. 259 (as L. dorsalis); Lorenz-Liburnau, 1898, pi. 30 (as 

 L. m. rufescens); Kaudern, 1915, pi. 1, fig. 3, pi. 2, fig. 2 (as L. m. 

 rufescens) . 



This is apparently a rather common as well as widespread species 

 in western and southern Madagascar. No less than 36 specimens 

 were collected by the Mission Zoologique Franco-Anglo-Americaine 

 of 1929-31 (Delacour, 1932, p. 220) . 



General color ashy rufous; head blackish; hind limbs pale ashy; 

 tail reddish; throat fulvous; abdomen whitish. Total length, 560 

 mm.; tail, 250 mm. (Grandidier, 1867, p. 256.) 



Schwarz (1931, pp. 420-421) records specimens from the following 

 localities: Loko-Be, Nosy Be Island, NW. Madagascar; Betsako, 

 north bank, Bay of Bombetoka ; Ambundube, near Betsako ; Antema 

 and Kandani, south bank, Bay of Bombetoka; Morondava, W. coast; 

 Ambolisatra, SW. coast; and Fort Dauphin, SE. coast. "This species 

 has also been recorded by Pollen and van Dam from various points 

 on the N.W. coast: Anorontsanga, Jangoa River, Ampasindava, all 

 at or near the Bay of Ampasi[n]dava; also from the Bay of Maha- 

 jamba. The range, therefore, covers the entire west coast, including 

 the north-west and south-east, but not the central plateau. The 

 northern and eastern limits remain to be ascertained." (P. 421.) 



Schlegel and Pollen write (1868, p. 12) concerning this species 

 (under the name of L. mustelinus) that it is very stupid and more 

 slothful than Hapalemur griseus. The natives of the northwest say 

 that they sometimes kill it in daytime with sticks and eat its flesh. 

 It is nocturnal, and its food consists of buds and leaves of trees as 

 well as certain fruits. 



Kaudern (1915, p. 74) records several specimens from Ste. Marie 

 de Marovoay on the Betsiboka River, northwestern Madagascar. 



1 Petit (1933, pp. 36-37) recognizes three subspecies, including L. r. dorsalis 

 Gray and L. r. leucopus Major. However, he attempts to distinguish dorsalis 

 from ruficaudatus in part by "a more russet coloration" and by "a constant 

 and more distinct dorsal band," in contradiction to Gray's type description of 

 dorsalis (1870, p. 135): "Back grey, yellow-washed; dorsal stripe none." As for 

 leucopus, Schwarz states (1931, p. 420) that "the type-specimen is in every 

 respect typical ruficaudatus" 



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