Animals / Wildlife

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Animals / Wildlife

Golden-crowned Sifaka - Propithecus tattersalli

By Laura Klappenbach, About.com

Golden-crowned sifakas (Propithecus tattersalli) weigh, on average, 3kg (6.6lbs) and grow to lengths of about 48cm (19in). They have tufted ears, a black face, white trimming of fur around the face, and orange-gold fur on the top of their head and below their chin. Golden-crowned sifakas' arms are nearly the same lengths as their legs, making them well-suited to a life in the treetops, where they are adept at leaping and grasping on to branches (Source: Rayner).

Golden-crowned sifakas are a type of lemur. They are diurnal (they are active during the day and sleep at night) and arboreal (they spend most of their time in trees). The golden-crowned sifaka is the smallest of three species of sifakas. The other species include Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi coquereli) and diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema diadema) (Source: 'Golden').

  • Mass:
  • Body Length:
  • Tail Length:
  • Shoulder Height:
  • Diet: seeds, leaves, flowers, bark, unripe fruit
  • Breeding Season:
  • Age at Sexual Maturity:
  • Number of Offspring:
  • Predators:
  • Average Lifespan:

Classification:

Where to See:

Northeast regions of Madagascar. Restricted to forest patches between the Loky and Monambato Rivers.

References:

Explore Animals / Wildlife

By Category

About.com Special Features

Animals / Wildlife

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Animals / Wildlife
  4. Mammals
  5. Primates
  6. Golden-crowned Sifaka - Profile of the Golden-crowned Sifaka

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.