their eyes and both of their eyes have dark narrow rings around them. Their nose and lips are a light pink color, and they exhibit an extraordinarily long tongue compared to other dwarf lemurs. The dorsal side of the lemur is a brownish grey, with a darker line of fur running along the spine. Their underbellies are grey, with the hairs ending in a white tip. Their hands and feet are a light rosy pink color, with long narrow nails protruding from them. The fur on their tails is short and becomes darker towards the tip. Little is known about the life span of the species, but other species in the similar genus Cheirogaleidae are thought to live around 15–19 years in captivity. Distribution, population and habitat The hairy-eared dwarf lemur is likely to be critically endangered and the population is estimated anywhere from 100–1000 individuals. In 2008, the species was ranked as "data deficient" by the IUCN Red List, but is now classified as "endangered" according to the 2020 IUCN Red List. Research has shown that the distribution of this lemur is patchy, restrictive and they all live in a single location in specific parts of Madagascar, but the species may be more widely distributed than previously thought. All of the species that have been located in eastern Madagascar were found at the edge of primary highland rain forest at elevations anywhere from 680 to 1235 meters and all of the species located in northeast Madagascar were located in primary lowland rain forests. Locals of Madagascar call A. trichotis "tsidy ala", which translates to "the mouse lemur of the big forest." Currently, there are a few known predators of A. trichotis; data shows that Malagasy carnivores (Eupleridae) and owls (Strigiformes) as well as humans are a threat. Behavior and reproduction A. trichotis seems to confide in live or dead fallen trees for its nesting and sleeping sites; usually in a hollow located within the trees. Observations show that the lemurs tend to build nests with a deep layer of straw or leaves and since they are exclusively nocturnal, they spend their days sleeping in the same tree hollow and cover themselves with the straw or leaves. The lemurs become active as soon as it becomes dusk and they remain active until the very first sign of light in the morning. While active, the lemurs have been observed to leap