Simmons' mouse lemur

Simmons' mouse lemur[1]
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Family:	Cheirogaleidae
Genus:	Microcebus
Species:	M. simmonsi
Binomial name
Microcebus simmonsi Louis et al., 2006
Simmons' mouse lemur range

Simmons' mouse lemur (Microcebus simmonsi) is a species of mouse lemur known only from Betampona Special Reserve and Zahamena National Park in Madagascar.

The species is named in honor of Dr. Lee Simmons, former director of the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska.

Simmons' mouse lemur is the largest of the east coast mouse lemurs. The body is dark reddish to orange brown with black-tipped hairs on the crown and sometimes a stripe down middle of the back. There is a distinctive white patch on the snout and the belly is grayish white to white.

The discovery of this species was announced June 21, 2006 at the Conservation International Global Symposium in Antananarivo, Madagascar, along with the discovery of Mittermeier's mouse lemur Microcebus mittermeieri and Jolly's mouse lemur Microcebus jollyae as separate species.^[3] These new species were also officially announced in a paper in the International Journal of Primatology.^[4]

References

1. ^ Mittermeier, R., Ganzhorn, J., Konstant, W., Glander, K., Tattersall, I., Groves, C., Rylands, A., Hapke, A., Ratsimbazafy, J., Mayor, M., Louis, E., Rumpler, Y., Schwitzer, C. & Rasoloarison, R. (December 2008). "Lemur Diversity in Madagascar". International Journal of Primatology 29 (6): 1607–1656. doi:10.1007/s10764-008-9317-y. 
2. ^ Hoffmann, M. (2008). Microcebus simmonsi. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 1 January 2009.
3. ^ Three new lemurs take a bow in Madagascar - Modified news release from CI
4. ^ Edward E. Louis, Melissa S. Coles, Rambinintsoa Andriantompohavana, Julie A. Sommer, Shannon E. Engberg, John R. Zaonarivelo, Mireya I. Mayor, Rick A. Brenneman (2006). "Revision of the Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus) of Eastern Madagascar". International Journal of Primatology 27 (2): 347–389. doi:10.1007/s10764-006-9036-1.