Cheirogaleus medius
fat-tailed dwarf lemur

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are found in the dry forests of western Madagascar and south to the southern tip of Madagascar, where their range extends into moist evergreen forest habitats. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs inhabit dry deciduous forests and thorn scrub forests in western Madagascar. Their range extends to southeastern Madagascar, where they inhabit moist evergreen forests. They are seen on thick and medium-sized branches that are usually low down. Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs make their nests in holes in trees, where they lie dormant throughout the dry season. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are small animals, about the size of a small rat. Head and body length is 20 to 23 cm and tail length is 20 to 27 cm. Body weight varies between 120 and 270 grams, being heaviest just prior to entering seasonal torpor. Their fur is soft and woolly. They have large, lustrous eyes which are surrounded by dark rings. They are a brownish-red or grey color, and their underside is completely white. Along with the dark eye rings, fat-tailed dwarf lemurs have a white nasal stripe and white feet. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are reported to have lived up to 20 years in captivity. (Nowak, 1999)

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are nocturnal primates. They live in small groups of a mated male and female and their offspring from the previous one or two breeding seasons. They move in a quadrupedal, squirrel-like fashion. Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs spend virtually all their time in trees. During the winter dry months they become dormant for up to 6 months, nesting in holes in trees. During this time they use stored fat in their tails to survive until the next wet season. Their body temperatures while dormant vary with ambient temperature. During sleep and times of dormancy they are rolled up in a tight ball. No territorial behaviors or marking have been observed. Population densities range from 40 to 400 per square kilometer. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Home Range

Most individuals have home ranges of 1 to 2 hectares. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are relatively quiet animals. They do have a few weak calls for contact and a louder cry in agonistic situations. They use fecal scent marks to mark territories. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are predominantly frugivores, but they also feed on flowers, seeds, nectar and insects. They take small vertebrates occasionally. During the wet season fat-tailed dwarf lemurs store fat in their tails in preparation for their dry season aestivation. Just before aestivation they begin to incorporate higher quantities of fruit in their diet. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)

Predators of fat-tailed dwarf lemurs include fossas, Madagascar harrier-hawks, Madagascar buzzards, barn owls, Madagascan long-eared owls, and native boas. Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are nocturnal and cryptically colored, which helps them to avoid some predation.

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs may play a role in seed dispersal in the forests they inhabit. They are also important prey for medium sized carnivores.

There are no known negative impacts of Cheirogaleus medius on humans.

Since these animals are confined to only the island of Madagascar their economic importance to humans is extremely little, if their is any at all.

Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are currently listed as lower risk/least concern by the IUCN. They are considered endangered by the U.S. Endangered Species Act and on Appendix I of CITES by virtue of being in the family Cheirogaleidae. They are fairly widespread and abundant currently and populations are protected in 4 national parks. (Ratsimbazafy et al., 2006)