Lemur Fragmentation Biology: The effects of habitat variation on health, disease ecology and behavior in a population of wild ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta

Michelle Sauther - University of Colorado  

Abstract: The lemurs of Madagascar face probable extinction within the next half-century if adequate conservation programs are not developed. Habitat loss remains the major threat to primate survival, with this island country being one of the top eight hotspots in terms of biodiversity and ongoing habitat loss. The endemic lemurs remain the most endangered primate taxa. A more in-depth understanding of how lemurs are currently responding to habitat change is thus vital. Towards that end, Michelle Sauther  has been monitoring lemurs at Beza Mahafaly, Madagascar for nearly twenty years. With conservation goals in mind, her work aims to understand how changes to Madagascar’s environment—mostly exacted by human beings—affect the behaviors, health, and evolution of lemurs. By comparing the behavior, health and disease ecology of ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta, both within a protected reserve and in areas undergoing human-induced habitat variation, this work is identifying how a generalist lemur species is responding to change.

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