|
Lemurs doomed by Climate Change
30/Sep/2006: A study carried out by Dr. Patricia Wright, of Stony Brook University in New York, has shown that the climate change is driving the endangered lemurs in Madagascar to extinction.
Lemurs belong to the class of primates known as Prosimians (the most primitive class of primates found in Madagascar and in Southeast Asia). They are found in the wild only in Madagascar and in some small islands in this region, like the Comoros Islands in Indian Ocean.
Dr. Patricia Wright, who studied the Madagascar’s sifikas lemur for over 20 years, found that even a slight reduction in rainfall in lemur habitats could lead to extinction of these wonderful creatures, as they are so reliant on water during their reproductive cycle.
During her study, Dr. Wright found that female lemurs require a lot of water to produce enough milk and in periods of droughts or insufficient rainfall, they are unable to feed their young. She said that even a slight change in climate that affects the rainfall in lemur habitats have a significant impact on the survival rate of young lemurs.
Dr. Wright added that the tropical rainforests are more sensitive to climate change, even though they are among the most stable habitats in Earth and this makes the future of the endangered species in these forests, more uncertain. Madagascar, referred to as the ‘eighth continent’ of the world, because of the diversity of species found in this island, remains the last stronghold of lemurs.
Three new species of lemur were discovered in the past year alone, but Lesley Dickie, a Madagascar expert at the London Zoo, feels that many more species of lemur could go extinct before we discover them.
K Siva
|
 Eco
Features
Eco
Guides
Health
& Lifestyle
Mail
This Page
Link
To Us
Bookmark
Archives
 Recent Articles
Cows contribute to global warming!
New treatment for acne scars
Researchers develop a novel treatment for dementia
Ovulation influence women’s lifestyle
Fighting global warming could benefit world economies
|
