Anatomy and Physiology
An adult collared brown lemur can reach a head-body length of 39 and 40 cm (15 and 16 in) and have a tail length of 50 and 55 cm (20 and 22 in) for an overall length of 89 and 95 cm (35 and 37 in). It has an average body weight of 2.25 and 2.5 kg (5.0 and 5.5 lb), making it a medium-sized lemur. The only form of sexual dimorphism exhibited by the collared brown lemur is dichromatism. The following table illustrates the coloration differences between the sexes:
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Dorsal coat | Brownish-gray | Browner and more rufous than the male's |
| Ventral coat | Paler gray | Pale creamy-gray |
| Tail | Darker gray with a dark stripe along the spine | Same as dorsal coat |
| Face and head | Muzzle, face and crown are dark gray to black; creamy to gray-colored eyebrow patches vary between individuals | Gray, with faint gray stripe extending over crown |
| Cheeks | Creamy to rufous-brown cheeks and beard are thick and bushy | Rufous-brown, but less prominent than the male's |
| Eyes | orange-red | orange-red |
In the wild, the collared brown lemur's range does not overlap with other brown lemurs, so it is rarely confused with other species. However, in captivity it can be easily confused with the gray-headed lemur (Eulemur cinereiceps) due to similar coloration. The male collared brown lemur can be distinguished by their cream-colored or rufous beards, whereas the male gray-headed lemur has a white beard. Females of these two species are nearly indistinguishable, even though genetic analyses support full species status for both taxa.
Read more about this topic: Collared Brown Lemur
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