Scientists have identified a new lemur species, the Groves’ dwarf lemur, in southeast Madagascar.

A team from Omaha Zoo in Nebraska, working with the Suny Polytechnic Institute and Global Wildlife Conservation, analysed its DNA to confirm the animal is a distinct species.

The lemur is found in two of Madagascar’s national parks - Andringitra, which is a mixture of grassland and forest; and Ranomafana, characterised by a rainforest in a mountainous region. On average, the animal is just six inches long with a 10-inch tail, which makes it smaller than a typical North American squirrel.

Scientists named the newly discovered species in honour of the biological anthropologist, Professor Colin Groves, who passed away last year. It is the twenty-fourth lemur species to be discovered since 2006 by the zoo’s conservation genetics department, with its Malagasy partner, the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership.

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