Cockerel's sifaka with mouth sightly agape

Coquerel's Sifaka

Leaping lemurs
Type
giant panda

Mammals

Area
Map highlighting Madagascar
Madagascar
Endangered Status

Endangered

facts

size
3 to 3.5 feet
length, including tail
An average soccer ball is 8.65 inches tall.
cockerel's sifaka next to a soccer ball

The Coquerel's sifaka's body is about 16 to 19 inches in length, and the tail measures 20 to 24 inches. Adults weigh 8.2 to 9.5 pounds.

food
plants, fruit
herbivore

Leaves make up most of this sifaka's diet. They also eat flowers, fruit, bark, and dead wood.

habitat
forests
forest dweller

description

Cockerel's sifaka seeping from tree to tree.

On the move

Whether moving through the trees or on the ground, Coquerel's sifaka are great jumpers. In fact, they can jump nearly 40 feet to move from one tree to another. On the ground they “dance,” holding their arms out and hopping like kangaroos.

Sifaka hanging onto a tree

Safety in numbers

Living in trees on the island of Madagascar helps protect sifaka groups from predators that share their forest home. These lemurs can make a loud alarm call to warn their group of danger: “Shi-fakh! Shi-fakh! Shi-fakh!” That unique call is what gives sifaka their name.

Sifaka eating leaves

Up with the sun

Coquerel’s sifaka begin their daily activities at sunrise. They often sun themselves in the treetops before spending the rest of the day moving through the trees to find food.