Pale Fork-crowned Lemur
Phaner pallescens Groves & Tattersall, 1991
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.
Open encyclopedia reference
The pale fork-marked lemur (Phaner pallescens), or western fork-marked lemur, is a species of lemur known from western Madagascar; south of the Fiherenana River to the region of Soalala. It is said to be the smallest fork-marked species. It is listed on CITES Appendix I as Endangered. They are about 9–11 in (230–280 mm) long from head to rump and their tail adds another 11–15 in (280–380 mm). Pale fork-marked lemur's weigh around 11–18 oz (310–510 g)
Pale fork-marked lemurs live up to around 12 years in captivity. Their chances of surviving to that age is suspected to decrease when in the wild.
Wikipedia contributors, Pale fork-marked lemur; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:11:32.389141+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Phaner pallescens Groves & Tattersall, 1991
- Name authority
- Groves & Tattersall, 1991
- Common name
- Pale Fork-crowned Lemur
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cheirogaleidae
- Genus
- Phaner
- 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
- genusPhaner Gray, 1870
- speciesPhaner pallescens Groves & Tattersall, 1991
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Phaner. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Montagne d'Ambre Fork-marked LemurPhaner electromontis Groves & Tattersall, 1991 | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Masoala Fork-crowned LemurPhaner furcifer (de Blainville, 1839) | CheirogaleidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pariente's Fork-crowned LemurPhaner parienti Groves & Tattersall, 1991 | 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=944047 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:4FSQ8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.