Finding sleeping sites is important for the fitness of many mammal species. Like most nonhuman primates, Madagascar's mouse lemurs (genus: Microcebus) are thought to exclusively use arboreal sleeping sites. The rufous mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus) in Ranomafana National Park (southeastern Madagascar) have always been documented to sleep in either tree holes or leaf nests. However, in our recent field expedition, we observed, with the help of telemetry technologies, an unprecedented event of M. rufus sleeping in a burrow on the rainforest ground, curled up with a very slow heartbeat. Thus far, such behavior has not been observed in any other Microcebus species but is common in high-altitude dwarf lemurs (genus: Cheirogaleus), a closely related genus to the mouse lemurs. We believe that this discovery could illustrate an ecophysiological response strategy to habitat changes, which warrants further investigation.
Zava‐dehibe ho an'ny biby mampinono ny toerana fatoriana izay miaro azy amin'ireo mpihaza azy sy miantoka ny fahaveloman'izy ireo izany, indrindra manoloana ny fiovaovan'ny toetrandro. Noeritreretina sy voalaza fa tsy mampiasa afa‐tsy fatoriana voajanahary anaty hazo ny Antsidy (taranaka: Microcebus; foko: Primates) eto Madagasikara. Eto kosa izahay dia mitatitra tranga sambany nisy nahita: Antsidy matory ao anaty lavaka tsy dia lalina amin'ny tany voasarona vatakazo. Tamin'ny alalan'ny onjam‐peo fanarahana azy ireo no nahitanay izany. Eritreretinay fa ity fampiasana lavaka amin'ny tany ity dia paikady entin'ny Antsidy hiarovan‐tena amin'ny hatsiaka, indrindra manoloana ny fiovana tampoka eo amin'ny firafitry ny toeram‐ponenany.
Keywords: Cheirogaleidae; Microcebus; heterothermy; nesting; primates; tropical ecology.
© 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.