The Lemurs of Madagascar
The most famous animals on Madagascar are lemurs. Lemurs are primates or relatives of monkeys, apes, and humans. They can only be found on Madagascar. Millions of years ago, the ancestors of today's lemurs somehow managed to make their way across the ocean. At that time, Madagascar had just broken away from Africa and the Mozambique Channel was still narrow. Scientists think that these ancestors sailed across on logs or rafts of matted vegetation. Lemurs adapted successfully to Madagascar. Because they were isolated on Madagascar, they evolved into forty different species, twelve of which are now extinct. They split into different species because Madagascar has many different habitats.
Lemurs have a strong sense of smell and use this function to communicate. Lemurs use their strong teeth to strip the young bark form twigs.
The ring-tailed lemur is about the size of a cat. It has a long tail with black and white rings and a long snout. They live in forests on the dry southern part of the island. Lemurs have what is called a matriarchal society which means that the female is the boss! The males walk behind the females and obediently follow them. The males protect their territory by throwing out a powerful bomb at other males. They do this by jerking their tails over their heads and shaking violently. They eat bananas, insects, and young leaves.
The brown lemur does not have rings on its tail. The male has a beard.
The red-fronted lemurs live in the eastern rainforest. The red-fronted lemur is a pest because it eats flowers.
The white-fronted lemur is very attractive. The male is more attractive.
The male Sanford's lemur has a halo of fur sticking out around the head.
The crowned lemur has a black crown on top of its head.
National Lemur Portrait Gallery
(click to enlarge pictures)