Sifaka - Sifaka (English spelling)

A general term for animals in the Sifaka genus of the Indridae family of the Primates order of the Mammalia class. The prosimians of this genus, Propithecus , are endemic to the island of Madagascar and there are two species. They have silky, whitish fur, a dark face and crown, and a white forehead. They have a relatively short muzzle and 30 teeth, with a dental formula of

Its hind legs are long, and it clings to trunks by keeping its body axis vertical. When moving, it uses the spring of its hind legs to jump to the next trunk. It lives in family-like groups. It is a diurnal arboreal dweller, but occasionally hops on the ground on its two legs. It is folivorous, and also eats some fruit and bark. The Verreaux's Sifaka (P. verreauxi) has a head and body length of about 45 cm and a tail length of around 55 cm, and is found in the dry forests of the west. The Crested Sifaka (P. diadema ) is slightly larger, with a head and body length of over 50 cm, but a shorter tail of about 45 cm, and lives in the rainforests of the east.

[Shigeo Uehara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱霊長目インドリ科シファカ属に含まれる動物の総称。この属Propithecusの原猿はマダガスカル島固有で、2種がある。体毛は絹毛で白っぽく、顔と頭頂部は暗色で額が白い。鼻口部は比較的短く、歯は30本で歯式は

である。後肢が長く、体軸を垂直に保って幹にしがみつく。移動時は後肢のばねを使って隣の幹にジャンプする。家族的な群れをつくる。昼行性の樹上生活者であるが、まれに地上を二足で跳ぶ。葉食性で、果実や樹皮もすこし食べる。ベローシファカP. verreauxiは頭胴長約45センチメートル、尾長55センチメートル前後で、西部の乾燥林に分布する。カンムリシファカP. diademaはやや大形で頭胴長50センチメートル以上、尾は逆に短く約45センチメートルで、東部の多雨林にすむ。

［上原重男］

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