Lemurs of Madagascar is a reference work and field guide for the lemurs of Madagascar with descriptions and biogeographic data for the known species. The primary contributor is Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, and the cover art and illustrations are drawn by Stephen D. Nash. Currently in its fifth edition published in 2023, the book provides details about all known lemur species, general information about lemurs and their history, and tips for identifying species. Four related pocket field guides have also been released, containing color illustrations of each species, miniature range maps, and species checklists.
The first edition was published in 1994 and was reviewed favorably in the International Journal of Primatology, Conservation Biology, and Lemur News. Reviewers, including Alison Jolly, praised the book for its depth of coverage, illustrations, and discussion of topics including conservation, evolution, and the recently extinct subfossil lemurs. Each agreed that the book was an excellent resource for a wide audience, including ecotourists and lemur researchers. A lengthy review of the second edition was published in the American Journal of Primatology, where it received similar favorable comments. The third edition was reviewed favorably in Lemur News; the reviewer praised the expanded content of the book but was concerned that the edition was not as portable as its predecessors.
The first edition identified 50 lemur species and subspecies, compared to 71 in the second edition, 101 in the third, 102 in the fourth, and 112 in the fifth. The taxonomy promoted by these books has been questioned by researchers, such as Ian Tattersall, who view these growing quantities of lemur species as insufficiently justified inflation of species numbers.
Overview Lemurs of Madagascar is intended as a field guide that identifies all of the known lemur species from Madagascar. The first edition was published in 1994 and contained 356 pages. The 520-page second edition was published in 2006, having been followed by the 767-page third edition in the fall of 2010. The 841-page fourth edition, written in French and titled Lémuriens de Madagascar, was published in 2014. Lastly, the fifth and most recent edition is 975 pages long and was published in 2023. The first three editions are published by Conservation International (CI), a non-profit conservation organization headquartered near Washington, D.C.. The fourth is published by the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, and the fifth is published by the US-based nonprofit Re:wild.
For all five editions, Stephen D. Nash has been the illustrator and front cover artist. The lead author for all five editions is Russell A. Mittermeier, president of CI and a primatologist, herpetologist and biological anthropologist. The first edition followed a similar 1982 volume by Ian Tattersall, entitled Primates of Madagascar. All five editions cover the natural history and conservation status for each known species. They also discuss conservation strategies, lemur origins, extinct lemurs, and the history of discoveries made by early European naturalists. The books provide suggestions on where to see each species, as well as checklists to help people keep track of their sightings. The purpose of the book is defined in its introduction: "to facilitate field identification of lemurs, to summarize available data on their ecology, distribution and conservation status, and to stimulate further interest in the survival of these animals in their natural habitats."
Four pocket field guides illustrated by Nash have also been published by CI, providing over 100 species illustrations. Checklists are included with these guides, along with thumbnail range maps for each species. The four guides include two editions of Lemurs of Madagascar Pocket Identification Guide (out of print), Nocturnal Lemurs, and Diurnal and Cathemeral Lemurs. The Nocturnal Lemurs booklet contains 65 species from eight genera. Diurnal and Cathemeral Lemurs hosts 34 species and subspecies from seven genera, along with illustrations to show male and female fur color differences in the genus Eulemur and color morphs for the indri and ruffed lemur species. Fifth and sixth pocket field guides are planned following the publication of the third edition of the field guide. Content
The "Introduction" in the first two editions was written by Peter A. Seligmann, Chairman of the Board and CEO of CI, and Mittermeier. In it, they emphasize Madagascar's primate diversity, summarize conservation efforts, and highlight recent discoveries, while also acknowledging the need for additional research. The chapter entitled "Origins of Lemurs" briefly summarizes the theories on how lemurs came to Madagascar and the difficulty in resolving the mystery. "Discovery and Study of the Living Lemurs" reviews the history of exploration, field research, and taxonomic nomenclature of lemurs, starting from the 1625 description of a ring-tailed lemur to contemporary research by Western and Malagasy scientists. "The Extinct Lemurs" discusses the recently extinct subfossil lemurs, including the monkey lemurs, sloth lemurs, and koala lemurs. "Conservation of Lemurs" details the threats lemurs face, such as habitat destruction and hunting for bushmeat, and conservation efforts aimed at their protection, such as programs of the Madagascar Fauna Group and political promises to expand protected areas. In the third edition, a new chapter was added, entitled "Madagascar's Ancient Geological History", written by Maarten de Wit from the University of Cape Town.
The majority of the book provides accounts of all lemur species known up until the time of publication. In the first and second editions, the chapter "The Living Lemurs" is broken first into sections on families, and then into species clumped together by genus. In the third edition, each family is assigned its own chapter number, separate from "The Living Lemurs" chapter, yet the order and layout are the same. In the second and third editions, all pages within each family section are assigned a colored tab to match those in a quick visual reference present inside the front and back covers. Each species subsection has a distribution map, an illustration or photo (if available), a list of common names in multiple languages (including Malagasy), and species information broken into five sections: "Identification", "Geographic Range", "Natural History", "Conservation Status", and "Where to See It".
The "Identification" section for each species provides a physical description, discussions of variation in size and coloration (morphometrics), and descriptions of distinguishing vocalizations. "Geographic Range" offers textual information to accompany the provided map of known distributions. "Natural History" summarizes what is known about the behavior and ecology of each species. Estimated population densities and distributions, life histories, diet, social structure, and other details are provided when known. "Conservation Status" lists the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessment and protected areas in which a species can be found, while also discussing specific threats to each species, the effects of local fady (taboos), the future outlook for species survival, and its coverage within protected areas. Lastly, "Where to See It" aims to promote ecotourism by suggesting lemur watching sites. Suggested modes of transportation are sometimes mentioned as well.
The appendices differ between editions. The first edition has two appendices, respectively entitled "Lemurs Present in Protected Areas" and "Alternative Names for Towns and Sites in Madagascar". In the second edition, three appendices are present: Appendix A, "Maps of Madagascar"; Appendix B, "Biogeographic Regions and Floristic Domains of Madagascar"; and Appendix C, "Key Sites for Watching Lemurs". The third edition added Appendix D, entitled "Primate-watching and Primate Life-listing". All five editions provide a "References" section, with the second edition listing approximately 500 sources and the third listing over 1,100. Following the "References", the first edition provides a section with the color plates. In contrast, the second and third editions provide color illustrations throughout the book.
Reception In a review of the first edition in the International Journal of Primatology, Lisa Gould spoke favorably of the book, comparing it to Tattersall's The Primates of Madagascar except more portable, affordable, and up-to-date. She singled out the chapter "The Extinct Lemurs" and the accompanying reconstructions by Nash as "simply fascinating". Gould described Nash's artwork as "exquisite" and concluded by calling the book "extremely useful" for both tourists and researchers. The book was also briefly reviewed in College & Research Libraries News by George Eberhart. The review noted CI's promotion of ecotourism while also providing a count of the book's illustrations: 35 color plates, 50 distribution maps, and 135 drawings of postures and behaviors.
Writing in Lemur News, Alison Jolly praised the first edition for its "contribution to knowledge in general" and "its effect on its intended audience." Like Gould, Jolly praised the work as a field guide, as well as Nash's illustrations. She noted the attraction of Nash's subfossil lemur reconstruction, claiming that it was "rapidly becoming one of the most pirated single book illustration on the primate lecture-slide circuit." Jolly praised the thoroughness of the natural history information provided for each species, including recently described species, noting that the information covered existing knowledge better than any other published literature, even when only a single paragraph was provided for poorly known species. The book was recommended not only for lemur specialists, but also for tourists, hoping it would spark an interest in ecotourism in impoverished Madagascar. The checklist of species and the information on where to most easily spot them earned a special mention from Jolly. Finally, the "most significant and most appreciative" audience Jolly mentioned was the Malagasy researchers, to whom Mittermeier reportedly gave 50 copies of the book during a workshop in 1995.
A review from Conservation Biology by Joelisoa Ratsirarson referred to the book as a "remarkable achievement" for its up-to-date information, and for being the first comprehensive lemur field guide. Emphasizing many of the same highlights as Gould and Jolly, Ratsirarson also noted the inclusion of captive management information, unpublished details, and the use of common names in English, French, German, and Malagasy. His critique focused on the organization of the illustrations in relation to the text, the lack of an index, and a desire for more information about the roles lemurs play in their ecosystem. Though he praised it for being useful to tourists, researchers, students, resource managers, and conservationists, he expressed concern over its lack of availability in the bookstores of Madagascar.