Among species of cute, little mouse lemurs, the recently discovered Gerp’s Mouse Lemurs are considered critically endangered. First discovered on June 25th, 2009, the species is named after the organisation that captured and then released it. GERP (Groupe d’Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar) is located in Antananarivo — the largest city in the African island of Madagascar.
Mouse lemurs are considered the smallest primates known, and Gerp’s Mouse Lemurs are different from other mouse lemurs due to their color, small ears, and longer tails. They are found in the Sahafina Forest, which is subject to slash and burn agriculture, and logging. Poachers also prey on mouse lemurs.
Gerp’s mouse lemurs only weigh about 2.5 oz (70g), but are one of the larger mouse lemurs. They have a light gray, or white front, a reddish line on their stomach, and dark fur on their backs. Their tails, which are used to store fat in the winter, have brown-gray fur.
Mouse lemurs are nocturnal (hunting only at night). And like many carnivores, they make great use of their eyes. They are very large and contain light-sensitive cells that are stimulated twice. Once, when light hits the retina, and again when it bounces back from the tapetum lucidum layer behind the retina. This produces the “eye shine” glow seen in some animals after dark.
To conserve energy, mouse lemurs can reach torpor, a light form of hibernation, after hunting at night or during cold snaps. Other mouse lemur species are also endangered and critically endangered, including: Coquerel’s giant mouse lemur and Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur. All lemurs are found only on Madagascar.
The GERP conservation association is not only responsible for discovering new lemur species, it also transfers injured lemurs to zoos and protected areas. An important part of their mandate is conservation education.
On the Owlcation website, Linda Crampton has written that “a difficult but very important task is to balance the needs of the Madagascan people with the needs of the local wildlife so that the amazing biodiversity of the island is maintained.” Linda Crampton, a teacher, biologist and scientific writer, was born and educated in Canada.
Learn more about the endangered lemur
October 31st is World Lemur Day!
Sources
Mouse Lemurs: Tiny and Endangered Primates of Madagascar. Owlcation: The Arena Media Brands, LLC. (2023, December 23). https://owlcation.com/stem/mouse-lemurs-tiny-endangered-primates-of-madagascar
200 Words: Fun facts about the mouse lemur. Duke Lemur Centre. (2025). https://lemur.duke.edu/200-words-fun-facts-about-the-mouse-lemur/
Gerp’s Mouse Lemur: Microcebus gerpi. New England Primate Conservancy. (2022-2025). https://neprimateconservancy.org/gerps-mouse-lemur/
Linda Crampton. (2025). Owlcation: The Arena Media Brands, LLC. https://owlcation.com/aliciac
Gerps mouse lemur. Wikipedia. (2025, September 29). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerp%27s_mouse_lemur
Gerps mouse lemur. Animalia. (2025). https://animalia.bio/gerps-mouse-lemur
Study and Research Group on Primates of Madagascar. Wikipedia. (2025, April 23). https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupe_d%27%C3%A9tude_et_de_recherche_sur_les_primates_de_Madagascar