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Transcription
This podcast discusses the great mouse lemur, a small primate found in Madagascar. It talks about their size, predators, and threats they face, such as habitat loss and hunting. While they are not currently endangered, their population is declining. They have some protections in place, including being found in national parks and reserves. One interesting fact is that their brains age similarly to humans, with some developing patterns similar to Alzheimer's disease. They are nocturnal, eat bugs and fruits, and have long tails used for storing fat. Females are dominant in their social groups. Hi, welcome to my primate podcast on Microcephus marinus, aka the great mouse lemur. Today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about this incredible primate and about some of the conservation efforts that have gone into protecting this little guy. We are then going to end with some fun, or maybe more funny, facts. I'm here today with my amazing roommate, Jackie. Say hi, Jackie. Hi, Jackie. Real funny. So, are you ready to get started? Yep. Then let's move it, move it. Is that a Madagascar pun? Maybe. And while we're not talking about our favorite ring-tailed lemur, where do all lemurs live? Madagascar. Yep. This little lemur lives in the forests and shrublands on the west coast of Madagascar. I'm coming to enjoy it. Yeah. And weighing in at only 50 to 60 grams and 12 to 14 centimeters, the great mouse lemur is one of the smallest primates in the living world. Aw, that is pretty small. Yeah. And of course, that's only in the wild. In captivity, they can weigh up to as much as 120 grams and live as long as 15 years. Damn, how do they live in the wild? Well, in the wild, they only actually live to about four years. Oh. Yeah, these guys are tiny, but that doesn't stop them from being hunted. By what? Well, a few things, actually. Their main predators are owls, snakes, mongoose, and even domesticated dogs. But, of course, as with anything with meat on its bones, its biggest threat is humans. We eat them? No. These guys are taken for pet trade, for medical research. What kind of medical research? Well, we'll get to that a little bit later. But these guys are mainly killed by habitat loss, the slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle These snakes, used by the people of Madagascar, take down a lot of their habitat. This makes them really stressed and causes them to go into periods of torpor. That's so sad. What's torpor? It's like a hibernation state. It's shorter, but it's still used to save energy. These periods of torpor are actually what lead to the higher mortality rates, though. So, are they endangered? No, they're not. The ICN Red List, which is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, has them listed as of least concern. Isn't that good, then? Not necessarily. Because, while they are doing better than other species, the exact number of species is unknown. And it's expected that the population is declining. So, are they even protected in any way? Yeah, they have some protections. Like? Well, they've been relocated. So, there are populations in eight national parks and five reserves across Madagascar. There are also captive populations in Europe and in the United States. And they are also listed on the appendix of the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species. Okay, so they have a few protections in place. That's one way to put it. Can we get to the fun fact now? I want to know about the medical research. Just for you, Jackie. So, basically, there is a study done that says the brain of a grey mouse lemur ages the same as human brains. So, research tested this. And they discovered that about 20% of their lemur population that aged past five years old, because five years old is considered elderly for mouse lemurs, they developed a brain pattern that was similar to that of a human with Alzheimer's disease. Oh, just like my grandma. But that's kind of cool. Yeah, I thought so too. So, yeah. Is there anything else notable about these little guys? Well, if you just want me to rattle off facts, they're nocturnal. They eat bugs, fruits, and chameleons. Their tail is longer than their bodies. They're quadrupedal. Quadrupedal? They walk on four legs. And their tail? Right. So, while only being 12 centimeters long, their tails actually max out at around 15 centimeters. This is because their tails are actually where they store fat. So, these little guys, they live in multi-male, multi-female social groups. With the females actually being the dominant and bigger species. Who run the world? Girls! Yes, we love a good Beyoncé moment. But I think that about runs our time. Thank you for listening. See you primates later.
