Verreauxs Sifaka Monkey 43cm

Physical Characteristics
Verreaux's sifakas have a white body, with a brown crown. Some subspecies also have grey, black or rust-red areas on the thighs and forearms. Head and body length: 42-45cm, Tail length: 56-60cm, Weight: Female: 3.4kg, Males: 3.6kg.

Habitat
Verreaux's sifakas live only on Madagascar in the evergreen forest, dry deciduous forest and spiny desert.

Behaviour
Verreaux's sifakas live in family groups of 2-12, which may be just one male and female or multimale-multifemale. They have a home range of 2.8.5ha, and although they are territorial, it is the food source they will defend rather than the territory's boundaries. Females are dominant over males. They are diurnal and arboreal, and engage in sunbathing with outstretched arms and legs. Verreaux's sifaka move through the trees by clinging and leaping between vertical supports. They are capable of making remarkable leaps through the trees - distances of 9-10m are not uncommon. On the ground, they hop bipedally.

Breeding
Female Verreaux's sifakas give birth to one infant after a gestation period of 130 days, between June and August. For the first 6-8 weeks, the infant clings to the mother's stomach, but for the following 19 weeks, it clings to her back.

Diet
Verreaux's Sifakas normally eat leaves, fruit, bark and flowers.

Strange and Interesting Facts
The name sifaka comes from the noisy barking call they make during territorial confrontations.