Sambirano Mouse Lemur
Microcebus sambiranensis Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.

Sambirano mouse lemur (Microcebus sambiranensis) range
derivative work: Alex Dunkel (Maky) Madagascar range map template.svg: Alex Dunkel (Maky) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (English). iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 2025-09-01. (Distribution data) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Sambirano mouse lemur (Microcebus sambiranensis) is a small, recently discovered primate and like the other mouse lemurs can only be found on the island of Madagascar. The dorsal side is both cinnamon and rufous-cinnamon and is grey ventrally. It has vibrissae that are dark in color.
The species was discovered in northwestern Madagascar, in the Ankarana Special Reserve, where vegetation remains dense, after a survey was completed of the area. It was named as a separate species at the same time as the Madame Berthe's mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae) and northern rufous mouse lemur (Microcebus tavaratra).
Foliage tree sleeping sites prevent predatorial species interaction with Sambirano Mouse Lemurs.
Sambirano mouse lemurs are endemic to Madagascar and are currently prone to extinction. Long term reforestation in northwestern Madagascar may facilitate the conservation of this species.
Wikipedia contributors, Sambirano mouse lemur; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:16:41.541529+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Microcebus sambiranensis Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000
- Name authority
- Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000
- Common name
- Sambirano Mouse Lemur
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cheirogaleidae
- Genus
- Microcebus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderPrimates Linnaeus, 1758
- suborderStrepsirrhini É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812
- infraorderLemuriformes Gray, 1821
- superfamilyCheirogaleoidea Gray, 1873
- familyCheirogaleidae Gray, 1873
- genusMicrocebus É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1834
- speciesMicrocebus sambiranensis Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Microcebus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Berthe's Mouse LemurMicrocebus berthae Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bongolava Mouse LemurMicrocebus bongolavensis Olivieri, Zimmermann, Randrianambinina, Rassoloharijaona, Rakotondravony, Gsuchanski et al., 2006 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gerp's Mouse LemurMicrocebus gerpi Radespiel, Ratsimbazafy, Rasoloharijaona, Raveloson, Andriaholinirina, Rakotondravony et al., 2011 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jolly's Mouse LemurMicrocebus jollyae Louis Jr., Coles, Andriantompohavana, Sommer, Engberg, Zaonarivelo, Mayor & Brenneman, 2006 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Marohita Mouse LemurMicrocebus marohita Rasoloarison, Weisrock, Yoder, Rakotondravony & Kappeler, 2013 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray Mouse LemurMicrocebus murinus (J. F. Miller, 1777) | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Peters' Mouse LemurMicrocebus myoxinus Peters, 1852 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Golden-brown Mouse LemurMicrocebus ravelobensis Zimmerman, Ehresmann, Zeitemann, Radespiel, Randrianambinina & Rakotoarison, 1997 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brown Mouse LemurMicrocebus rufus (Lesson, 1840) | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern Rufous Mouse LemurMicrocebus tavaratra Rasoloarison, Goodman & Ganzhorn, 2000 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Montagne d'Ambre Mouse LemurMicrocebus arnholdi Louis Jr., Engberg, McGuire, McCormick, Randriamampionona, Ranaivoarisoa, Bailey et al., 2008 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Margot Marsh's Mouse LemurMicrocebus margotmarshae Louis Jr., Engberg, McGuire, McCormick, Randriamampionona, Ranaivoarisoa, Bailey et al., 2008 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=944029 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:42SC3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.