Cyber Flashcards

10 OF THE MOST ENDANGERED PRIMATE SPECIES

#8

what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
DIADEMED SIFAKA
What is the scientific name?
Propithecus diadema
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
PROSIMIAN
Where do they live?
Like all lemurs, diademed sifakas are endemic to Madagascar. They live in the eastern and northeastern rainforests of the island, at altitudes between 2,260 and 5,000 ft (800-1500 m).
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Africa
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Where diademed sifakas live. Map: Alex Dunkel & IUCN/Creative Commons
New world or old world?
OLD WORLD
fascinating facts
  • Diademed sifakas are one of the largest of the lemur species
  • They are leaf-eaters and consume at least 100 plant species
  • They occasionally eat soil to detoxify plant tannins, for mineral supplements, to fend off parasites, or all three
  • Diademed sifakas propel themselves from tree to tree upright, leaping up to 30 ft (9 m) in a single bound
  • On the ground, diademed sifakas skip sidelong, on their hind limbs with their arms above them for balance, in a comical dance
What threatens their future?
Not only do they face daily threats from fierce predators, but diademed sifakas also face the threat of human activity. Deforestation has been changing Madagascar's landscape for decades due to human population growth, extreme wild fires, and “tavy,” a slash-and-burn agriculture technique. Slash and burn practices increase erosion, can contaminate water, reduce soil fertility, and change the landscape. Forests are also being cut for charcoal production. The major issue in eastern Madagascar, where diademed sifakas live, is timber extraction for precious hardwoods like ebony and rosewood. In fragmented forests, diademed sifakas are even more vulnerable to predators. Because nutrient-rich food is not readily available, their protein intake is lower than in continuous forest. Poor nutrition leads to lower fertility; more stress leads to compromised immune systems, which makes these sifakas more vulnerable to diseases.
​WHAT IS their CONSERVATION STATUS?
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
What Does this Conservation Status mean?
Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Any species categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable is considered by conservation scientists to be a threatened species
​HERE'S A SNAPSHOT AND THE SPECIES' PROFILE
Click or tap on the graphic to enlarge it
​LEARN MORE ABOUT diademed sifakas
Go to the diademed sifaka Primate Species Profiles page
are diademed sifakas good pets?
NO
  1. Diademed sifakas are wild animals. Their dietary and environmental needs cannot be adequately met or replicated in human living conditions. 
  2. To become pets, baby primates are stolen from their mothers. As a result, they do not develop normally emotionally.
  3. When taken from the wild, their mothers are killed to capture the baby.
  4. Primates are never domesticated. They always remain wild. 
  5. Caged primates are very unhappy and frustrated. They are likely to resist confinement. They are quick and cause damaging bites and scratches. Some die as a result of their captivity.
  6. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping primates and endangered species are pets.
  7. Diademed sifakas belong with other lemurs in Madagascar. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
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​Common names are not officially defined. They are based on everyday conversational language and may differ by country, region, profession, community, or other factors. As a result, it is not unusual for a species to have multiple common names.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are standardized and constant. They are Latinized and rule-bound by a formal naming system called binominal nomenclature. Scientific names prevent misidentification. They typically only change if a species is officially redesignated.
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The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
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​​New World monkeys are native to Central and South America.

Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia.
Learn about the differences between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys
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  • ​Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Widespread and abundant.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess the species' risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated.
Learn more about ​Conservation Statuses
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