Mouse lemur
| Mouse lemurs | |
|---|---|
| Pygmy mouse lemur (M. myoxinus) | |
CITES Appendix I
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Cheirogaleidae |
| Genus: | Microcebus É. Geoffroy, 1834 |
| Type species | |
| Lemur pusillus É. Geoffroy, 1795
| |
| Diversity | |
| About 25 species | |
| Combined distribution of Microcebus | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The mouse lemurs are nocturnal lemurs of the genus Microcebus. Like all lemurs, mouse lemurs are native to Madagascar.
Mouse lemurs have a combined head, body and tail length of 20–30 centimetres (7.9–11.8 in) and weigh 30–65 grams (1.1–2.3 oz), making them the smallest primates (the smallest species being Madame Berthe's mouse lemur); however, their weight fluctuates in response to daylight duration. Lemurs and mouse lemurs were announced by the IUCN as the most endangered of all vertebrates. There were two known mouse lemur species in 1992; by 2016, there were 24. It was estimated that the 24 mouse lemur species evolved from a common ancestor 18–11 million years ago. They can live for about 18 years in captivity. Gestation is about 2 months. The total population for mouse lemurs isn't yet known.