FaunaHub
CRCritically EndangeredPartial review

Verreaux's Sifaka

Propithecus verreauxi

Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), a white lemur with a dark face.

Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi).

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
CR · Critically Endangered
Animal group
Mammals
Population trend
Decreasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

Verreaux's sifaka is a lemur famous for 'dancing' sideways across open ground on its hind legs. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.

In the trees it leaps powerfully between trunks in an upright posture.

Range & habitat

Dry forests and spiny thickets of southern and south-western Madagascar.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture
  • Hunting in places
  • Drought

Why it matters

An iconic leaping lemur found only in Madagascar, Verreaux's sifaka is a flagship for the island's threatened dry forests and spiny thickets.

Gallery

A Verreaux's sifaka clinging to a tree.

Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi).

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Verreaux's Sifaka

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Verreaux's sifaka 'dance'?
Its body is built for vertical leaping between tree trunks, so on the ground it cannot walk on all fours easily; instead it springs sideways on its hind legs in a bounding 'dance'.
Why is Verreaux's sifaka Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting in places, and drought across southern Madagascar. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: