Jan 20, 2011
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According to Travel2Madagascar, the lemur was first spotted by Russ Mittermeier in 1995 during an expedition in the northeastern part of Madagascar, but it wasn’t until October 2010 that he could finally return to find this lemur again.
“I was surprised to see a fork-marked lemur there, since this animal had not yet been recorded from the region,” he said. “I immediately knew that it was likely a new species to science.”
So, what makes this lemur different? The answer is simply the unique, feathery structure found under its tongue. Mittermeier believes that the lemur species has adapted uniquely to the forests of Dairana and that this feathery structure is used to assist in lapping up nectar. This is definitely not very common amongst other lemurs…
“This is yet another remarkable discovery from the island of Madagascar, the world’s highest priority biodiversity hotspot and one of the most extraordinary places in our planet.” Mittermeier says. “It is particularly remarkable that we continue to find new species of lemurs and many other plants and animals in this heavily impacted country, which has already lost 90 percent or more of its original vegetation.”
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