Scientific name Mirza zaza | Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar Giant mouse lemur, Coquerel's giant mouse le, Goodman's mouse lemur, Sambirano mouse lemur, Jolly's mouse lemur | ||
Lemur in madagascar northern giant mouse lemur
The northern giant mouse lemur (Mirza zaza), or northern dwarf lemur, is a species of lemur discovered in 2005. Previously, 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), and have long, bushy tails and relatively small ears. Their large testicles are an indication of their promiscuous copulation system. These lemurs have been found to use communal sleeping nests including multiple males, which is an uncommon behaviour in lemurs.
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Etymology
The word zaza means child in Malagasy. The name was chosen because the northern giant mouse lemur is the smaller of the two giant mouse lemur species, and because of a wish to emphasize the responsibility of the current generation of Malagasy children for the conservation of Malagasy animals for future generations.
