Coquerel's Sifaka

Groups of about three to ten of these large lemurs live in the dry deciduous forests of north-western Madagascar. The animal clings upright to a vertical trunk, pushes off with its long hind legs and turns in the air to land feet first on the next trunk, several metres away.

• The word sifaka imitates the shi-fak alarm call the animals give.
• In studied populations births are reported mostly in June and July, in the dry season, after a pregnancy of about five and a half months.
• Ankarafantsika National Park holds one of the main protected populations.
• Its forests are being cleared and burned, and it is now rated Critically Endangered.
• It was long treated as a subspecies of Verreaux's sifaka before being recognised as a species.

Coquerel’s Sifakas are diurnal, resting in trees and moving by day when their sideways ground dance and vertical leaps are visible.

Habitat: dry deciduous forest and woodland

Native range: Northwestern Madagascar

Leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark.

Coquerel’s Sifakas are diurnal, resting in trees and moving by day when their sideways ground dance and vertical leaps are visible.

Thought to reach 18 to 20 years in the wild. Captive animals have lived to about 30.

Females usually bear a single infant that clings to the belly and back, learning leap timing through the mother’s movement.

Sexes are broadly similar, though females are often socially assertive.

Rarity: Rare · 70/100. Coquerel's Sifaka is never easy to find and becomes less secure when dry deciduous forest and woodland is reduced or broken apart.

• Keep distance and let the animal choose the space.
• Avoid blocking movement routes, nesting areas, or feeding behavior.
• Use optics, patience, and quiet observation instead of crowding for a closer view.