| Northern giant mouse lemur[1] | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Cheirogaleidae |
| Genus: | Mirza |
| Species: | M. zaza |
| Binomial name | |
| Mirza zaza Kappeler & Roos, 2005 |
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The northern giant mouse lemur (Mirza zaza), or northern dwarf lemur, was discovered to be a species in 2005 by Kappeler et al.[3] from the German primates centre and the University of Göttingen. Before, both populations of giant mouse lemurs were believed to belong to one species. The northern giant mouse lemurs are small nocturnal lemurs endemic to Madagascar. They weigh about 300 grams (11 oz), have a long bushy tail and relatively small ears. Their large testicles are an indication of their promiscuous copulation system.
The word "zaza" means child in Malagasy. Kappeler et al. choose this name for two reasons. First, the northern giant mouse lemur is the smaller of the two giant mouse lemur species. Second, they wished to emphasize the responsibility of the current generation of Malagasy children for the conservation of Malagasy animals for future generations.[3]
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