Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) Health Parameters across Two Habitats with Varied Levels of Human Disturbance at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

Abstract

The health of 36 wild, free-ranging ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve was assessed across 2 habitats of varied human impact: a reserve riverine gallery forest, and a degraded mixed dry deciduous and Alluaudia-dominated spiny forest. While there were no statistically significant differences in leukocyte count or differential between habitats, female lemurs in the reserve gallery forest had significantly higher percentages of monocytes and eosinophils than male lemurs in the gallery forest. Lemurs from the degraded spiny habitat had significantly higher mean packed cell volume, hematocrit, hemoglobin, total protein, blood urea nitrogen, chloride, ionized calcium and urine specific gravity than lemurs from the reserve gallery forest. These findings may reflect lower hydration levels in lemurs living in degraded habitat, providing evidence that environmental degradation has identifiable impacts on the physiology and health of wild, free-ranging ring-tailed lemurs living in nearby habitats. Given the greater evidence of human impact in the mixed dry deciduous/spiny forest habitat, a pattern seen throughout southern Madagascar, biomedical markers suggestive of decreased hydration can provide empirical data to inform new conservation policies facilitating the long-term survival of this lemur community.

Sleeping site ecology, but not sex, affect ecto- and hemoparasite risk, in sympatric, arboreal primates (Avahi occidentalis and Lepilemur edwardsi)

“…Aetholaelaps trilyssa , a mite belonging to the family Laelaptidae, showed a prevalence of 75% in L. edwardsi . Mites of this family are commonly found on various lemur species but were never associated with clinical disease [ 45 , 46 ]. Some laelaptid mites are known to be nidicolous temporary parasites, living in the nest of the host but infesting the host for feeding [ 47 ].…”

The effect of extreme weather events on hair cortisol and body weight in a wild ring‐tailed lemur population (Lemur catta) in southwestern Madagascar

“…Beginning in 2003 and annually thereafter through 2012, lemurs in the study population were first captured in their second year of life (20–22 months of age) during June and/or July of each year, using methods previously described (Larsen, Moresco, Sauther, & Cuozzo, ; Miller et al, ; Singleton, Norris, Sauther, Cuozzo, & Youssouf Jacky, ). Age determination is based on actual ages and health, somatic, and dental variables (Cuozzo et al, ).…”

Forest fragmentation and edge effects impact body condition, fur condition and ectoparasite prevalence in a nocturnal lemur community

“…Based on the different ecologies, dietary niches and tolerance of habitat degradation of our study species ( Hending et al., 2024 ; Hending et al., in press ) and the findings of previous investigations ( Singleton et al., 2015 ; Rakotoniaina et al., 2016 ; Springer and Kappeler, 2016 ), we hypothesized that the physiological responses of the four lemur species to forest fragmentation would be species-specific, and we predicted that body condition, fur condition scores and ectoparasite prevalence would vary between continuous and fragmented forest habitats and between forest edge and core areas. The physiological differences between continuous and fragmented forest and between edge and core habitats were expected to be most profound in L. sahamalaza due to the more specialized ecology and narrower feeding niches of sportive lemurs compared to the Cheirogaleidae ( Ganzhorn, 1993 ).…”

“…The effect of habitat-related factors on animal physiology is arguably most studied in primates, as their slow life histories and strict dependence on tropical forests make them particularly sensitive to environmental change ( Isabirye-Basuta and Lwanga, 2008 ; Balestri et al., 2014 ). Such environmental changes include forest fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbance, which have been linked to declines in body condition in some primates, such as ring-tailed lemurs, olive baboons and Milne-Edwards’s sifakas ( Eley et al., 1989 ; Sauther et al., 2006 ; Dunham et al., 2008 ; Singleton et al., 2015 ). Similarly, habitat degradation has been associated with increased parasite prevalence in colobus monkeys, redtail guenons and mangabeys ( Gillespie et al., 2005 ; Chapman et al., 2006 ; Gillespie and Chapman, 2008 ; Mbora and McPeek, 2009 ).…”