A tiny baby Verreaux’s Sifaka, Propithecus verreauxi, less than a week old, holds onto its mother, who is hanging from a branch of a tree near the Canyon des Makis in Isalo National Park, Madagascar.
Sifakas are primates, a group of the Lemur family which is endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are diurnal and arboreal, feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits. They are distuguished as a group of lemurs by their strongly vertical position as they leap from tree to tree. When crossing the ground, they have a distinct hopping/bouncing gait. Their name represents their call, ‘Shif-auk’.
Baby Sifakas hold on to the fur on their mother’s tummy when they are small, then when they are older, they can ride on their mother’s back.
Verreaux’s Sifaka, aka White Sifaka, is an endangered species. It is mostly found near the south and south-west coasts of Madagascar, but its population is decreasing.
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Baby Sifakas hold on to the fur on their mother’s tummy when they are small, then when they are older, they can ride on their mother’s back.
This photo of an alternate view of the wild Verreaux’s Sifaka mother and baby is available to purchase as a stock image from my portfolio at iStock.
