Head to head
Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur vs Gray Mouse Lemur
Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur
VS Gray Mouse Lemur
Madame Berthe's mouse lemur and the gray mouse lemur are both tiny nocturnal mouse lemurs of Madagascar, but one is confined to a small patch of forest and the other is common across much of the island.
| Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur | Gray Mouse Lemur | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Microcebus berthae | Microcebus murinus |
| Relationship | A close relative of the gray mouse lemur, in the same genus | A close relative of Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, in the same genus |
| Size | The smallest primate in the world, weighing only about as much as a few coins | One of the smallest primates in the world |
| Range | Dry forest in a small area of western Madagascar | Forest across parts of Madagascar, including dry forest and some humid forest |
| Diet | Insects and the sugary secretions of insect larvae, along with fruit and gum | Insects, fruit, and plant gum |
| Saving energy | Not specifically documented | Can enter torpor, lowering its body temperature and metabolic rate when food is scarce |
| Story | Discovered by scientists only in the 1990s, and named for the Malagasy scientist Berthe Rakotosamimanana | An important model organism for research into ageing |
| Conservation status | Endangered, with a decreasing population | Least Concern, with a stable population |
Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur vs Gray Mouse Lemur: common questions
Which is the smallest primate in the world?
Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, which weighs only about as much as a few coins.
Why is the gray mouse lemur studied?
It is a model animal for research into ageing, since it can live for a surprisingly long time relative to its small size.
Where do the two mouse lemurs live?
Madame Berthe's mouse lemur lives only in a small area of dry forest in western Madagascar, while the gray mouse lemur lives in forest across parts of the island.