The Pygmy Mouse Lemur (Microcebus myoxinus), also known as the Peters' mouse lemur or dormouse lemur, is a primate weighing only 43–55 g (1.5–1.9 oz); it is the second smallest of the mouse lemurs. Its dorsal side is a rufous-brown color, and creamy-white ventrally. It lives in dry deciduous forests. The pygmy mouse lemur measures around 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) (head-body length). Its small size and nocturnal nature made it difficult to locate for over a century, and was rediscovered in the Kirindy forest in western Madagascar in 1993. They are believed to inhabit other parts of the island, but so far have only been discovered in a localized area. The lemur rests during the day, and it has a tendency to sleep in the open, which increases the risk of predation; although this danger is somewhat mitigated by sleeping alone. It can also use the abandoned nests of the Coquerel's giant mouse lemur (Mirza coquereli). During the mating season, sleeping sites of males are distributed over a much broader area than are female sites, indicating that male home ranges are larger than those of females. The home ranges of males overlap during the mating season, and males occasionally roam over long distances during a single night.
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