NewCritters.com

Celebrating Earth’s Biodiversity by highlighting recent New Species Discoveries

A Lemur for Monty Python & John Cleese Fans - Avahi cleesei

Posted in primate by Critter Lover on the April 8th, 2006

A new species of woolly lemur first spotted in 1990 by researchers was officially announced this past November.

The animals are known locally as Dadintsifaka which means ‘grandparent of sifakas’ (Propithecus deckeni) because they are smaller and greyer than the white sifaka lemur. The species was given the scientific name Avahi cleesei after the famous comedian and actor John Cleese.

Read the fascinating story [pdf] of researcher Urs Thulmann to learn more about this discovery as well as other lemurs and creatures of Madagascar. It details what happened over the 15 years between his initial sighting and the report giving the critters their zoological name.

You can also read the short scientific report published in the American Journal of Primatology [pdf] as well as hear audio clips of the new lemurs.

Avahi cleesei lemur
(photo by Urs Thalmann)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Indriidae
Genus: Avahi

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