biology

Wright's sportive lemur

Wright's sportive lemur is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wright's sportive lemur rather than just read about it. In short: Wright's sportive lemur (Lepilemur wrighti), or the Kalambatritra sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. Like all members of its genus, it is nocturnal and largely folivorous.

Key takeaways

Wright's sportive lemur belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wright's sportive lemur to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wright's sportive lemur from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wright's sportive lemur (Lepilemur wrighti), or the Kalambatritra sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. Like all members of its genus, it is nocturnal and largely folivorous. Unlike all other members of Lepilemur, it displays visible sexual dimorphism. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Taxonomy and phylogenetics Wright's sportive lemur was described in 2006 based on genetic samples and morphometrics collected in 2003 and 2004 as Lepilemur wrighti. The name was presumed to be incorrectly formed and was corrected in 2009 to Lepilemur wrightae. However, this change was deemed to be an unjustified emendation. The specific epithet wrighti honors the conservationist and primatologist Patricia Wright. Genetic analyses show Wright's sportive lemur to be an outgroup to a clade of eastern Lepilemur containing Fleurete's sportive lemur, the Betsileo sportive lemur, James' sportive lemur, and the weasel sportive lemur.

Description Wright's sportive lemur displays sexually dimorphic coloration, unique among members of Lepilemur. Both sexes have a diffuse, reddish-brown and gray back with a lighter grayish-brown underside. The female displays a sharply contrasting, uniformly gray head, whereas the male's head is similar in coloration to the rest of the upper body. Some females may possess a slight color change around the face that forms a mask-like appearance. The ears in both sexes show minimal furring and are pale. Wright's sportive lemur is relatively large for its genus. The head-body length is 24–26 cm (9.4–10.2 in) and the tail length is 25–26 cm (9.8–10.2 in), making the total length 49–52 cm (19–20 in). It weighs 950–1,100 g (34–39 oz).

Distribution and habitat Wright's sportive lemur is found in southeastern Madagascar, where it is only known from Kalambatritra Special Reserve and the unprotected Beakora Forest. Its population density has been estimated to be 18.52-72 individuals/km2 in Kalambatritra and 6 individuals/km2 in Beakora. Additionally, its estimated extent of occurrence is 874 km2. Within its range, Wright's sportive lemur inhabits mid-altitude rainforest. Like other species of Lepilemur, sleeping sites are holes in large trees. Groups of one to three individuals have been seen foraging together, and the species is known to defecate in communal latrines.

Threats and conservation Wright's sportive lemur was listed as an endangered species by the IUCN in 2020 due to ongoing habitat loss. Factors causing and contributing to the species' decline include wildfires lit by humans to clear areas for cattle grazing and illegal activities such as marijuana cultivation and cattle rustling. As of 2022, the species was not being held in captivity.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wright's sportive lemur

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wright's sportive lemur claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wright's sportive lemur before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wright's sportive lemur ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wright's sportive lemur

In research: Wright's sportive lemur appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wright's sportive lemur in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wright's sportive lemur is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arboreal mammals, Endangered fauna of Africa, Fauna listed on CITES Appendix I, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wright's sportive lemur outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wright's sportive lemur in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wright's sportive lemur means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wright's sportive lemur out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wright's sportive lemur in simple terms?

Wright's sportive lemur (Lepilemur wrighti), or the Kalambatritra sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. Like all members of its genus, it is nocturnal and largely folivorous.

Why does Wright's sportive lemur matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wright's sportive lemur?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wright's sportive lemur.