1st Edition

A Natural History of the Brown Mouse Lemur

By Sylvia Atsalis Copyright 2008
    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    by Routledge

    This text can be used for any undergraduate or graduate course with a primate behavior or primate ecology component. It can also be used as supplemental reading, for any advanced animal behavior class. There are very few books that address the biology of nocturnal primates. There are even fewer that delve with any detail regarding the behavior of specific species. These animals are difficult to follow. Their diminutive size, the thickness of the vegetation, and their nocturnal habits, make the study of their habits a demanding task.Through a trial of patience, Sylvia Atsalis has undertaken this task. Here she provides an in depth view at the life and behavioral patterns of these tiny primates. A Natural History of the Brown Mouse Lemur provides the most complete look at the behavior and ecology of mouse lemurs.

    Contents *List of Figures *List of Tables *List of Pictures *Prologue and Acknowledgements Chapter One: Mouse Lemurs, The World's

    Smallest Primates *The Cheirogaleidae *Researching the Brown Mouse Lemur *Mouse Lemur Distribution *Distinctive Features of the Cheirogaleidae

    Chapter Two: Researching The Brown Mouse Lemur *Description of the Study Site *Rainfall and Temperature Patterns *Phenological Monitoring

    *Flowering and Fruiting Patterns *Insect Abundance *Live-Trapping Mouse Lemurs *Observing Mouse Lemurs Chapter Three: Diet and Feeding

    Ecology *The Diet of Mouse Lemurs *Investigating Diet in the Brown Mouse Lemur *Use of Plants and Prey *Frugivory *Bakerella, the fruit of

    preference *Beetles, the prey of preference *Other organic matter found in fecal samples *Fruit: availability and consumption *Phytochemical analysis

    of fruits eaten *Animal prey: availability and consumption*Observations of Mouse Lemurs Feeding *Mouse Lemurs and Mistletoes *Mouse Lemurs and

    Beetles *Comparing the Diets of Mouse Lemur Species *What Can Mouse Lemurs Tell Us About Primate Origins *Fecal Sampling as a Way to Study

    Diet *Suggested Directions for Future Studies *Chapter Summary Chapter Four: Seasonal Changes in Body Mass and Activity Levels *How Small

    Mammals Respond to Climatic and Resource Fluctuations *Seasonl Fluctuations in the Cheirogaleidae *Investigating Seasonal Flucutations in the

    Brown Mouse Lemur *Fattening and Hibernation *Population Fluctuations in Body Mass, Tail Circumference and Activity Levels *Differences in

    Seasonal Response *Comparing Seasonal Responses of Mouse Lemur Species *Emerging from Hibernation *Sleeping Nests *The Effects of Trapping

    *Suggested Directions for Future Studies *Chapter Summary Chapter Five-The Social Life of the Brown Mouse Lemur *Sociality in Nocturnal

    Strepsirrhines *Investigating Social Organization in the Brown Mouse Lemur *Social Interactions of the Brown Mouse Lemur *Trap Data and Spatial

    Distribution *Changes in Population Composition *The Solitary Mouse Lemur *Spatial Distribution of Males and Females *Migration Patterns and

    Population Continuity *Population Residents *Scramble and Contest Competition *Suggested Directions for Future Studies *Chapter Summary

    Chapter Six-Reproduction in Mouse Lemurs *Reproductive Patterns of Mouse Lemurs *Assessing Reproductive Condition in the Brown Mouse Lemur

    *Estrous Cycles, Gestation, and Births *Reproductive Seasonality *The Advantages of Estrous Synchrony

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    Biography

    Sylvia Atsalis is Coordinator of the Student Center for Science Engagement at Northeastern Illinois University. She has over twenty years experience teaching, advising, and offering professional development to students in STEM disciplines.