Dhaka: Smaller in size does not mean an intimidating one, when it is about world’s smallest primate mouse lemur.

With outsize eyes, nibbles on fruit and insects, it would fit in your breast pocket. Yet at least one species of mouse lemur has a super-strong grip, reported the Discover Magazine.

‘Among many species of mouse lemur, the largest — not that it has much of a distinction — is Microcebus murinus, the gray mouse lemur. Like all other lemurs, M murinus lives wild only in Madagascar.’

Graduate student Pauline Thomas and her colleagues at the French research institution UMR7179 CNRS/MNHN decided to measure the strength of the petite animals’ arms.

It is crucial for an animal like a lemur that lives in the trees to have a strong grip. Some of the little creatures are acrobats that swing and leap between branches while other species, like mouse lemurs, do more subdued clinging.

But it would not be easy for none of them if they lost a handhold in a high branch. ‘Since the earliest primates — our ancestors as well as the lemurs —are thought to have lived in trees too, their need to hang on tight may have influenced what our hands look like today.’

The researchers studied 62 captive grey mouse lemurs, both males and females and measure how well the animals can hang on to something.

‘In this case, the lemurs gripped a little iron bar. The bar was mounted to a force plate, which measured how much force the lemurs were exerting. Then a researcher tugged the animals horizontally away from the bar. The experiment was repeated multiple times with each animal to make sure the tiny athletes performed consistently.’

‘Comparing the results to the lemurs’ body measurements, the researchers found that heavier individuals could pull more strongly. Longer forearm bones also made for stronger lemurs. As the animals got older, their grips weakened. And females with more young were stronger, probably because their bodies had been in better condition to begin with. On average, the mouse lemurs could pull over 10 times their own body weight.’