Copyright 2007-2020 by Wildlife Conservation Society. The park also has nine other lemur species and is the only place left in the country where you can walk through rugged unbroken forest from sea level to mountain summit, where the views are spectacular. Thus, an intensive study hasbeen initiated in the Makira Natural Park since 2010 to generate relevantbio-ecological information for the management needs to restore the population. It is mainly diurnal, but generallybegins to rest late in the afternoon from 4 or 5 pm. Long bouts of terrestrial play involving adults are not uncommon. According to the most recent IUCN Red List assessment, the silky sifaka is critically endangered. clear cuts or farm land) to travel between forest fragments. "Earth's Endangered Creatures - Diademed Sifaka Facts" (Online) - Licensed article from Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Its tail is about 45 to 51 cm long. This large lemurmeasures 48-58 cm long and weighs 5-6 kg. Adult males have a large brown “chest patch” that results from chest scent-marking with the sternal gular gland. Habitat disturbance is occurring in and around their habitat primarily from slash-and-burn or swidden agriculture for rice as well as selective logging for precious wood (rosewood, ebony) and other hardwoods for home construction. The small family units raise another reason conservation efforts are absolutely vital: Silky sifakas mate only on one day a year, typically at the beginning of the rainy season. It weighs about 5 to 6.5 kilograms. Their coat is long, soft and silky, colored in white and tinged with silver on their back, legs and the head top. WCS, the "W" logo, WE STAND FOR WILDLIFE, I STAND FOR WILDLIFE, and STAND FOR WILDLIFE are service marks of Wildlife Conservation Society. Little is known about the longevity of these sifakas in the wild. They have a small head, large eyes, and large ears that in most species are partially hidden in their long silky fur. In some individuals, silver-gray or black tints may appear on the crown, back and limbs, and the pygal region (at the base of the tail) is sometimes yellow. But ironically, the raptors that used to prey on them have became extinct. The Silky Sifaka has long, white fur which has a silky … Raptors used to be a big problem and sifakas still vocalize when they see or hear a buzzard. Today this species’ numbers are decreasing and it is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. It has a small range in northeastern Madagascar, where it is known locally as the simpona.It is one of the rarest mammals on Earth, and is listed by the IUCN as one of the world's 25 most endangered primates.The silky sifaka is one of nine species in the genus Propithecus. The silky sifaka is one of five lemurs listed as one of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates" and has been on the list all five times since its inception in 2000. The pelage is long, silky and white, which gives this species its common name. They travel by vertical clinging and leaping which allows them to leap more than 20 feet between tree trunks. Life History Predators Their only real predator are humans. Environmental Education & Community Health. It feeds on fruit, youngleaves and flowers and occasionally eats soil. Why? Although all infants are born with black skin, all individuals lose pigmentation to varying degrees as they get older, resulting in skin color which is a mix of pink and black, with some individuals having all pink or all black faces. This gives this creature a total length of about 93 to 105 cm. It is endemic to the northeasternregion of Madagascar and is locally known as the simpona. The silky sifaka has a restricted range in the mountainous rainforests of northeastern Madagascar with most of the remaining population found inside Marojejy National Park and Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve. The silky sifaka is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Social structure is variable. Artisanal mining for quartz and amethyst as well as vanilla plantations are also a concern. No silky sifakas are kept in captivity, such as in zoos. Thus, deforestation is a primary concern for the species’ survival of the species. The Silky sifaka is known to be predated by the Fosa, a cat-likecarnivore. In addition, this program aims to: In the MaMaBay Landscape, the Silky sifakaoccurs only in the northern part of the Antainambalana River within the NaturalPark of Makira where it lives in small isolated groups suggesting geneticexchange problems between populations. They are folivorous seed-predators that eat primarily leaves and seeds but also considerable amounts of fruits and flowers and occasionally soil. All Rights Reserved. The Silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus), remarkable by its longwholly white fur, is one of the world’s rarest mammals. Since 2005, in collaboration with international and national researchers, WCS has carried out extensive research on the Silky sifaka, a critically endangered lemur species in northeastern Madagascar. Approximately 25% of the day is spent feeding, 44% resting, and the remainder is devoted to social behavior (16.8%), travelling, and sleeping. This species is easiest to observe at Camp Marojejia (Camp 2) in Marojejy National Park and at Camp Indri in Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve. The diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema), or diademed simpona, is an endangered species of sifaka, one of the lemurs endemic to certain rainforests in eastern Madagascar.Along with the indri, this species is one of the two largest living lemurs, with an average weight of 6.5 kg and a total adult length of approximately 105 centimetres (41 inches), half of which is its tail. What threats they face Silky sifakas are hunted throughout their range as there is no local taboo against eating them. Other than that, they are fine with other organisms. Lemur Conservation Foundation, P.O. "...every type of lemur in the area—including indris and thehighly endangered Silky Sifaka—are hunted down by packs of trained dogsand killed. Patel notes silky sifakas are vulnerable in this regard because they aren't protected by any local taboo ("fady"). A type of lemur, a silky sifaka weighs between 11 and 14 pounds and measures up to three-and-a-half-feet long. The silky sifaka is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Ecological niche ... Glenn, C. R. 2006. The Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema) is a species of concern belonging in the species group "mammals" and found in the following area(s): Madagascar. © 2020 Copyright Lemur Conservation Foundation. Coquerel’s sifaka are classified as endangered* in Madagascar and are threatened with increasing habitat destruction and the erosion of social customs against hunting this species. 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