| Lemurs | |||
| Genus | Lemuridae (incl. genera Lemur, Phaner, Hapalemur, Lepilemur, Microcebus, Allocebus, Cheirogaleus, Varecia) | ||
| Status | Endangered | ||
| Distribution | Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) | ||
| Behavior | Lemurs are monkey-like animals that spend their entire lives in the tops of trees. They swing expertly from branch to branch with their hand-like feet and long front arms. | ||
| Diet | Leaves, fruit, insects, vegetables, plants | ||
| Feeding |
These creatures don't use their hands to pick leaves or fruit. Instead, they pull branches to their mouths and eat directly from them. Other lemurs live on the ground and eat insects and vegetables. Smaller lemurs get their food at night, while larger species search for food during the day. Lemur hands and feet are so uniquely adapted to living in the trees that they rarely touch the ground.
One species, the lesser mouse lemur, eats as much as it can before the dry season comes, storing food as fat in its tail. It then hibernates inside a hole or rock crevice until the rains come again. | ||
| Breeding | When a lemur baby is still small, it clasps itself to its mother's front with its legs wrapped around her waist and its fingers grasping the hair on her shoulders. Then, no matter what jumps, twists, and turns the mother makes, the baby can hold on. Some of the older lemur babies, with their mask-like face coloring, resemble horse jockeys as they ride along on their mothers' backs. | ||
| Gestation | 2 months | ||
| No. of Young | 1 | ||
| Conservation |
Two hundred years ago, when Europeans arrived on Madagascar, they started farming the land and bringing in domestic animals. As they thus altered the ecosystem, 14 species of lemurs became extinct.
Today, 22 species of lemurs still remain on Madagascar, but all risk losing their habitats to logging and farming. Fortunately, many people are concerned about their situation, and special parks are being set aside for these animals. | ||
| Interesting Facts | Fifty million years ago, this island was still a part of mainland Africa, but gradually, it broke away and drifted slowly out into the Indian Ocean. The lemurs that lived on that part of land became separated from all the other lemurs in Africa. Without the old competition for food, the island lemurs thrived, while their African relatives died off. Today, lemurs can only be found on Madagascar. | ||
| Images and Video Clips | |||
 
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| Sound Snippet | |||
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1) Barking calls | |||
| Animal Communication Panel | |||
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