Evidence of prolonged torpor in Goodman’s mouse lemurs at Ankafobe forest, central Madagascar

The small-bodied mouse lemurs of Madagascar ( Microcebus ) are capable of heterothermy (i.e., torpor or hibernation). The expression of these energy-saving strategies has been physiologically demonstrated in three species: M. berthae , the pygmy mouse lemur (daily torpor), M. murinus , the gray mouse lemur (daily torpor and hibernation), and M. griseorufus , the reddish-gray mouse lemur (daily, prolonged torpor and hibernation). Additional evidence, based on radiotracking and seasonal body mass changes, indicated that mouse lemur capabilities for heterothermy extended to M. lehilahytsara , the Goodman’s mouse lemur. In this study, we confirm the use of hibernation in Goodman’s mouse lemurs at a new location, a high-plateau forest fragment in Ankafobe, central Madagascar. Our evidence is based on sleeping site monitoring of radiocollared individuals and the retrieval of three mouse lemurs from inside a tree hole, all of which displayed a lethargic state. Though our data are preliminary and scant, we show that hibernation occurs in high-plateau mouse lemurs, and suggest that a buffered environment (i.e., tree holes instead of nests) may be crucial to avoiding potentially extreme ambient temperatures.