CR

Sahafary Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur septentrionalis

Declining

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Northern Sportive Lemur faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive slash-and-burn agriculture and charcoal production that has fragmented its remaining forest habitat into isolated patches. Mining activities and uncontrolled fires further degrade the dry deciduous forests this species depends upon. The lemur's restricted range in northern Madagascar makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions, with remaining populations increasingly isolated and unable to maintain genetic diversity.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Northern Sportive Lemur inhabits dry deciduous forests in the Ankarana region of northern Madagascar, preferring areas with dense canopy cover for sleeping sites during the day. This nocturnal species requires continuous forest connectivity to move between feeding and resting areas within its specialized dry forest ecosystem.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryEx-situ conservationLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in LEPILEMURIDAE

Weasel Sportive LemurVU

Weasel Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur mustelinus

Declining
James' Sportive LemurCR

James' Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur jamesorum

Declining
Small-toothed Sportive LemurEN

Small-toothed Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur microdon

Declining
EN

Randrianasolo's Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur randrianasoloi

Declining

Threatened in Madagascar

Curlew SandpiperVU

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
EN

Montipora calcarea

Declining
Compsophis vinckeiCR

Compsophis vinckei

Declining
Montipora capitataEN

Montipora capitata

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Sahafary Sportive Lemur classified as Critically Endangered?
Sahafary 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. The Northern Sportive Lemur faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive slash-and-burn agriculture and charcoal production that has fragmented its remaining forest habitat into isolated patches. Mining activities and uncontrolled fires further degrade the dry deciduous forests this species depends upon. The lemur's restricted range in northern Madagascar makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions, with remaining populations increasingly isolated and unable to maintain genetic diversity.
Where does Sahafary Sportive Lemur live?
Sahafary 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 Sahafary Sportive Lemur?
The main threats to Sahafary Sportive Lemur are 5.3, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.