The crowned sifaka is a mammal from the Indriidae family. A Madagascan tradition says that ancestors are reincarnated in this animal, so touching or killing it is taboo.
Profile
Class, order and family :
Mammalia, Primates, Indriidae
Life span :
up to 20 – 30 years in captivity
Size & Weight :
39 - 45 cm tall, 3.5 – 4.3 kg
Gestation period :
5.5 months, one baby (every 2-3 years)
Natural habitat :
dry forests, mangroves
Diet :
buds, fruit, leaves, flowers
Native region :
Madagascar
Statut UICN :
Critically Endangered (CR)
Lifestyle
The sifaka is arboreal and mainly lives up in the canopy. It is a remarkable leaper – it uses its strong hind legs to leap from tree to tree, keeping its body upright. It can jump up to ten metres like this. Unlike the majority of lemurs, it hardly ever uses all four legs on the ground. It jumps around on its hind legs, lifting its arms above its head.
Anecdote
If a predator or group comes into its territory, the sifaka makes a loud sneezing sound and shakes its head backwards using quick movements by way of a warning signal.
