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Madame Berthe's mouse lemur on a branch in Madagascan forest at night

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur

The minute Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is believed to be the world's smallest living primate, at less than 100mm long and weighing only 30g. These tiny lemurs were only recently described as a species, in 2000. They are nimble and move quickly through the trees of Madagascar's dry forests in search of food, from fruit and the favoured honeydew of plant hopper larvae to chameleons. Madame Berthe's mouse lemurs have the unusual ability to lower their metabolic rate and body temperature during the cool, dry winter months which saves valuable water and energy.

Did you know?
Madame Berthe's mouse lemur is the world's smallest primate.

Scientific name: Microcebus berthae

Rank: Species

Common names:

Berthe's mouse lemur

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Distribution

The Madame Berthe's mouse lemur can be found in a number of locations including: Madagascar. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Madame Berthe's mouse lemur distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Tropical dry forest Tropical dry forest
Tropical dry forests, in contrast to rainforest, have to survive a long dry season each year, so the predominantly deciduous trees shed their leaves to cope with it. Sunlight can then reach the ground, so the season that's bad for the trees is good for the forest floor.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

Endangered

  1. EX - Extinct
  2. EW
  3. CR - Threatened
  4. EN - Threatened
  5. VU - Threatened
  6. NT
  7. LC - Least concern

Population trend: Decreasing

Year assessed: 2008

Classified by: IUCN 3.1

About

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae) or Berthe's mouse lemur is the smallest of the mouse lemurs and the smallest primate in the world; the average body length is 92 millimetres (3.6 in) and seasonal weight is around 30 g (1.1 oz). Microcebus berthae is one of many species of Madagascan lemurs that came about through extensive speciation, caused by unknown environmental mechanisms and conditions. It is found in the Kirindy Mitea National Park in western Madagascar. After its discovery in 1992 in the dry deciduous forest of western Madagascar, it was initially thought to represent a rediscovery of M. myoxinus, but comparative morphometric and genetic studies revealed its status as a new species, M. berthae.

This lemur is named after the conservationist Madame Berthe Rakotosamimanana of Madagascar, the Secretary General of the Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherche des Primates (GERP) from its founding until her death in 2005.

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