Animal profile

Verreaux's Sifaka

Propithecus verreauxi

MammaliaDry deciduous and spiny forestCritically Endangered

Field profile

Verreaux's sifaka is a white lemur with a dark cap and long, powerful hind legs, named for the hissing call it gives. It clings upright to trunks and leaps between them, and crosses open ground on two legs in a sideways bound. It feeds on leaves, flowers and fruit.

Published field notes

2025-09-22

Verreaux's Sifaka

Sifakas cross open ground sideways on two legs

A sifaka's legs are built for launching from vertical trunks, not for walking. On the ground it holds its arms up and bounds sideways in a series of two-footed hops, a gait that looks like dancing and is a compromise rather than a display.

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