James' Sportive Lemur
CR

James' Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur jamesorum

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

James' sportive lemur, or the Manombo sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur endemic to Madagascar. Like all members of its genus, it is nocturnal and largely folivorous. It is threatened by habitat loss and unsustainable hunting.

Lepilemur jamesorum faces severe population decline primarily due to slash-and-burn agriculture (tavy) that destroys its dry forest habitat in northwestern Madagascar. Mining activities and charcoal production further fragment the remaining forest patches, while hunting pressure for bushmeat adds additional stress to the already small population. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to any habitat disturbance.

Threat summary

Habitat

This sportive lemur inhabits dry deciduous forests in the Ankarana region of northern Madagascar. It prefers areas with dense canopy cover and relies on specific tree species for both food and shelter in this highly seasonal environment.

Forest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryLegislation

Other threatened species in LEPILEMURIDAE

Weasel Sportive LemurVU

Weasel Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur mustelinus

Declining
Small-toothed Sportive LemurEN

Small-toothed Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur microdon

Declining
EN

Randrianasolo's Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur randrianasoloi

Declining
EN

Daraina Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur milanoii

Declining

Threatened in Madagascar

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
EN

Montipora calcarea

Declining
CR

Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat

Hypogeomys antimena

Declining
Nasolo's Shrew TenrecVU

Nasolo's Shrew Tenrec

Microgale nasoloi

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is James' Sportive Lemur classified as Critically Endangered?
James' Sportive Lemur is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Lepilemur jamesorum faces severe population decline primarily due to slash-and-burn agriculture (tavy) that destroys its dry forest habitat in northwestern Madagascar. Mining activities and charcoal production further fragment the remaining forest patches, while hunting pressure for bushmeat adds additional stress to the already small population. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to any habitat disturbance.
Where does James' Sportive Lemur live?
James' Sportive Lemur occurs in Madagascar. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to James' Sportive Lemur?
The main threats to James' Sportive Lemur are 2.1, 5.1, 5.3, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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