Rufous Mouse Lemur

About the Rufous Mouse Lemur

The brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus) is a small primate, and like the other mouse lemurs can only be found on the island of Madagascar. They are known also as the rufous mouse lemur, eastern rufous mouse lemur, red mouse lemur, or russet mouse lemur. Its dorsal side is brown or reddish-brown, while ventrally it is a whitish-grey.

The mouse lemurs are among the shortest-lived of primates. The brown mouse lemur has a lifespan of 6–8 years in the wild, although it averages 12 years under human care. It can be found in rainforests in eastern Madagascar. It is a solitary and nocturnal creature.

Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire described this species in 1836 when he described the genus Microcebus, and is sometimes incorrectly cited as the author of this species, but he neglected to assign it a specific epithet. René Lesson would later give the animal a proper taxonomic name as Microcebus rufus. Wilson & Reeder's 2005 mammal checklist Mammal Species of the World recognized Geoffroy as the correct taxonomic authority despite the lack of a taxonomic name. The ITIS and American Society of Mammalogists both recognize Lesson as the correct authority.

It was considered a subspecies... Wikipedia →