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| Common Name: | Sclater's lemur | Family: | Lemuridae |
| Latin Name: | Eulemur macaco flavifrons | Diet: | Omnivore |
| Type: | Mammal | Habitat: | Tropical rainforests, |
| Native To: | Africa | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Endangered |
Sclater’s lemurs at Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo has a male and a female Sclater's lemur (also known as the blue-eyed black lemur). The female, Noemie, came to us from Mulhouse Zoo, France and was born in March 1997 and arrived here in August 2000. The male, Duke, arrived here in October 2011 from Banham Zoo. He was born in March 1997.
Where it can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
Our Sclater's lemurs can found just south of the gibbon enclosure. Our Sclater’s lemur enclosure has an aerial walkway that takes them from their indoor enclosure to their outdoor climbing frame. Our Sclater's lemurs also share an outdoor enclosure with our mongoose lemurs and our red-bellied lemurs. The enclosure is in the middle of the park, just to the southeast of the Mansion House.
Sclater’s lemurs in the wild
Like all lemurs, the Sclater’s lemur (Eulemur macaco flavifrons) is native to the island of Madagascar. This lemur has a very limited distribution of less than 3,000 square kilometers in north-western Madagascar. It inhabits primary and secondary subtropical moist and dry forests between the Sambirano region to the north and the western dry deciduous forests to the south.
Sclater’s lemurs are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the males of the species look quite different from the females. Male Sclater’s lemurs have a black coat, while females are a reddish-brown or blonde colour. Both sexes have blue eyes, which gives rise to their alternate name, blue-eyed black lemur. We humans are the only other primate species that can have blue eyes!
Sclater’s lemurs live in pairs or groups of mixed sex, usually consisting of around 7 – 10 individuals. Females are dominant in these groups and choose their own mates during breeding times. The diet of the blue-eyed black lemur consists mainly of fruit, leaves, flowers, bark, and occasionally insects.
Like many species of lemur, Sclater's lemurs are under threat due to the loss and fragmentation of their already small habitat by deforestation. Other threats are from capture for the pet trade and hunting by man for meat and fur. Because of these threats, the Sclater’s lemur has been listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as an Endangered species. This means that the Sclater’s lemur is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Breeding programme category: EEP
IUCN Red List category: Endangered
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