The fat-tailed lemur lived in Africa, Europe and North America until larger monkeys took these places.  Their forests were being destroyed, too. They now live on an African island called Madagascar.
   This lemur is about the size of a small squirrel and lives by itself unless it is hibernating.  It is gray with a lighter belly and a light brown throat.  It is about 7-8 inches long and weighs about half a pound.   It lives between fifteen and twenty years.  It is a fruit eater but likes flowers, insects, and chameleons, too.  It lives in forests and deserts.  The animal is nocturnal.  It lives in the lower branches of trees.  It moves slowly and can't jump like other lemurs do.  Its enemies are owls and birds of prey.
    During mating season, the males fight for the females.  Two months after mating, two or three babies are born after a pregnancy of 61 days.  The babies have fur and their eyes are open.  The adults go into hibernation first and then the babies snuggle up and do it, too.
    This lemur hibernates for about six months during the dry season.  It lives off stored fat in its tail in a nest high up in trees.  It might be in a tree hole.  Sometimes it digs a hole in the ground for hibernation.  Three to five lemurs will share the nest during hibernation.  Its temperature drops to as low as 59 degrees Fahrenheit.  They might have 3-5 lemurs curled together, but once hibernation is over, they travel alone.

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