Cheirogaleus medius
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius), also known as the lesser dwarf lemur, western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, or spiny forest dwarf lemur, is endemic to Madagascar. The fat-tailed dwarf lemur is 8–9 in (200–230 mm) long from its head to the end of its torso, with an 8–11 in (200–280 mm) tail extending beyond that. It weighs 4–10 oz (110–280 g). It has a lifespan of 4-11 years in the wild and 29 years in captivity. It uses its tail to store fat reserves for torpor.
Recent research has shown that C. medius hibernates (or aestivates), even though in the tropical winter of Madagascar, temperatures remain high. It is the first tropical mammal and only primate in which hibernation has been demonstrated. However, the Malagasy winter is dry, and it appears that the lemur is avoiding the drought. It can hibernate for seven months. Unlike animals that hibernate in temperate regions, the lemur does not control its body temperature while hibernating, and if the tree hole in which it is sleeping is not well insulated, its body temperature fluctuates in accordance with the outside temperature. During torpor, this lemur has been found to periodically enter REM sleep; non... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 9 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April and June–September, the lowest months. That is one of Ankarafantsika National Park's wettest months, with about 560 mm of rain against almost none in August. February and March have too few records to rate.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Only Ankarafantsika National Park, in our data
Ankarafantsika National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur sightings: about 40% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Cheirogaleidae
The closest relatives of the Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur that you can see in Ankarafantsika National Park (family Cheirogaleidae, Dwarf and Mouse Lemurs) are Grey Mouse-lemur (about 50%) and Golden-brown Mouse Lemur (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ankarafantsika National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
