The reddish-gray mouse lemur (Microcebus griseorufus) also known as the gray-brown mouse lemur or rufous-gray mouse lemur, is a small, solitary-but-social, nocturnal and omnivorous primate from the Western Madagascar in the region around Beza Mahafaly Reserve, north to Lamboharana. Like the other lemur species, the reddish-grey mouse lemur is endemic to Madagascar. They generally live in the drier regions of the island. It is categorized as least concerned in the IUCN Red List.
Appearance and morphology Microcebus griseorufus has a pelage color that is alternating light neutral gray, pale neutral gray, and light pale neutral gray dorsally and ventrally light grayish-white on the anterior two-thirds and bicolored light grayish-white and pale neutral gray on the posterior one-third. It has a cinnamon colored dorsal stripe running from the crown of the head or the shoulders to the end of the tail. The head of this species has a pale neutral gray spot above the nose, cinnamon around the eyes, a clay colored crown, and ears that are light neutral gray. The dorsal side of the tail is cinnamon colored while the ventral side is grayish-beige on the most distal two-thirds and cinnamon with faint brownish black streaks on the proximal one-third. The hands and feet are colored grayish-white and the vibrissae are dark in color. This species has a relatively robust skull. The size of the reddish-gray brown mouse lemur ranges from 25 to about 28 cm (9.8 to about 11.0 in), while their mass can range between 46 and 79 g (1.6 and 2.8 oz). It is assumed that like other nocturnal species, the reddish-gray mouse lemur has very sensitive ears, making them important for communication, social encounters, predator avoidance, and critter finding. With differences in fur color so broad that by appearance alone, individuals have been mistaken as different species in the past. Despite their strikingly different appearance, these reddish-gray mouse lemur may, in fact, not be so different genetically and belong to the same species. Habitat type and factors, and genetic distance have both been found to be uncorrelated to the different pelage, and thus, they have little to not impact on the fur color of the individuals. Even though their perception of color is different from human beings, vision is still important to the reddish-gray mouse lemur as they may recognize one another from facial patterns. It also dictates their activity level and when they start coming out to start foraging (i.e. when light levels are low enough). This can affect their lifespan, reproduction, and seasonal torpor due to photoperiodism. Like many other species in their suborder, the reddish-gray mouse lemur have tapetum lucidum, a characteristic that makes it easier for them to navigate in environments with low light levels. Research has found that the morphology of their hands and feet may vary slightly depending on the individual's habitat due to the difference in tree types. Individuals in the from the gallery forests, which have an abundance of small, flexible and high canopies, with many horizontal adjacent branches will have hook-like hands for easier locomotion. Those who live in spiny forests have hands formed like clamps for easier grasping, ground movement and vertical supports, since spiny forests have more open spaces, with large-trunked trees favoring such characteristics.
Ecology
Habitat and distribution The habitats of the reddish-gray mouse lemur include the spiny forests and gallery forests, as well as the shrublands or the dry forests near the Western and Southwestern coasts of Madagascar. They are one of the few mammals to occupy these driest regions of the island. The spiny forests have harsh and unpredictable conditions, with highly variable ambient temperatures, as well as scarce food and water sources compared to the other habitat types. However, there is a lower population density in spiny forests and other more arid areas compared to more humid regions of this mouse lemur's habitat, since the quality of food they provide is lower. The species has been observed to be male dispersed.
Feeding and diet The reddish-gray mouse lemur is an omnivore. They feed on fruits, insects, flowers, and plant exudate (i.e. gum, sap, etc.). There are variations in their diet depending on the season, environmental conditions, food availability, localities, chosen habitat, as well as their sex. Before the wet season ends, the reddish-grey mouse lemur prepares for the dry season (April–May to October) by optimizing their food intake and engage in opportunistic fattening while the food resources are higher. During the drier regions or seasons, the reddish-gray mouse lemur will consume more gums and other plant exudates than other parts of their diet, such as fruits, since they are more renewable and more readily available under these conditions. Females under the same arid conditions may consume more exudates but fewer insects than their male counterparts. Their diet may also be affected due to sleeping associations. Individuals within a sleeping group have been observed to consume more fruits and less plant exudates compared to individuals who are not associated. After observing the species in a habitat with more food availability, a research has found that the reddish-grey mouse lemur has a preference in their food, favoring fruits over plant gums or exudates, while insects are hunted at a given opportunity. Even if arthropod give more nutrients, they are not as easily found, accessible or defended than fruits and trees.
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