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mented, disturbed, and unusually low elevation forest. Fecals from known individuals
were collected in the field by me and my team and also during biomedical health exams
by DLC veterinarian, Dr. Robert Schopler.
Samples were examined microscopically by
Dr. James Loudon (Univ. Colorado at Boul-
der) and Dr. Charles Faulkner (Lincoln Me-
morial University). All seven of the Marojejy
individuals were found to harbor
Lemuros-
trongylus
sp. infections which was also found
in one of the three Makira individuals. This
round worm is one of the most common le-
mur parasites. A larger sample was analyzed
from the Marojejy group over a longer du-
ration of time, which may partially account
for these presumed site differences. Future
work will be needed to determine the impact
and intensity of this common infestation on these populations, and identify other para-
sites they may be harboring. As habitat becomes fragmented and anthropogenic distur-
bance increases, individual stress may also increase and parasite levels may rise. By
monitoring parasite levels we hope to establish what normal parasite loads are under
varying conditions so we can identify stressed populations early and institute interven-
tions as early as possible.
References
Charles-Smith, L.E., Cowen, P., and Schopler, R. (2010). Environmental and physiological factors contributing
to outbreaks of Cryptosporidium in Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) at the Duke Lemur Center.
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
41(3): 438 - 444.
Irwin, M.T. and Raharison, J.L. (2009). A review of the endoparasites of the lemurs of Madagascar.
Malagasy
Nature
2: 66 - 93
Irwin, M.T., Junge, R.E., Raharison, J.L., and Samonds, K.E. (2010). Variation in physiological health of dia-
demed sifakas across intact and fragmented forest at Tsinjoarivo, eastern Madagascar.
American Journal of
Primatology
72(11): 1013 – 1025.
Junge, R.E. and Louis, E.E. (2005). Biomedical evaluation of two sympatric lemur species (Propithecus ver-
reauxi deckeni and Eulemur fulvus rufus) in Tsiombokibo Classified Forest, Madagascar.
Journal of Zoo and
Wildlife Medicine
36(4): 581 – 589.
Junge, R.E. and Sauther, M.L. (2006). Overview on the health and disease ecology of wild lemurs: conserva-
tion implications. In Lemurs: Ecology and Adaptation edited by L. Gould and M.L. Sauther. New York:
Springer, pp. 423- 440.
Lewis, R.J. (2010). Grooming patterns in Verreaux’s sifaka.
American Journal of Primatology
72(3): 254 –
261.
Schwitzer, N., Clough, D., Zahner, H., Kaumanns, W., Kappeler, P., and Schwitzer, C. (2010). Parasite preva-
lence in blue-eyed black lemurs (Eulemur flavifrons) in differently degraded forest fragments.
Endangered
Species Research
12: 215 – 225.
Wright, P.C., Arrigo-Nelson, S.J., Hogg, K.L., Bannon, B., Morelli, T.L., Wyatt, J., Harivelo, A.L., and Ratelolahy,
F. (2009). Habitat disturbance and seasonal fluctuations of lemur parasites in the rain forest of Ranomafana
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ships edited by M.A. Huffman and C.A. Chapman. Cambridge U. Press, pp. 311-330.
S A V A C O N S E R V A T I O N
V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2
Parasites Found in Wild Silky Sifakas
Continued
(Photo by Jeff Gibbs)
Extreme skin depigmentation is characteristic of silky sifakas.
“By monitoring
parasite levels we
hope to establish
what normal
parasite loads are
under varying
conditions so we can
identify stressed
populations early
and institute
interventions as
early as possible.”