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| Black
and White Ruffed Lemur |
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| Common
Name: |
black
and white ruffed lemur |
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| Class:
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Mammalia |
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| Order: |
Primate |
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| Family:
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Lemuridae |
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| Genus
species: |
Varecia
variegata (variegated) variegata |
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| Fast
Facts |
| Description:
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Active,
tree dwelling primates with catlike nose and whiskers; fur is soft
with black and white patches; ears with long, thick fur; exact black
and white pattern varies with location. Also called prosimians, which
means "before apes". Lemurs maintain primitive primate features
such as a small brain case and a prominent nose. |
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| Size: |
Head
and body length = 47.5-50 cm (19-20 in)
Tail length = 59 cm (23.6 in) |
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| Weight: |
3.18-3.6
kg (7-8 lbs) |
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| Diet:
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Predominantly
vegetation such as flowers, fruit, seeds, nectar, and leaves |
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| Gestation:
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90-120
days; approximately 3 offspring per birth, but up to 6 |
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| Sexual
maturity: |
20 months
old |
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| Life
span: |
18 years
or older |
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| Range:
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Eastern
Madagascar, from the Antainambalana River (northern limit) to the
Mananara River (southern limit) |
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| Habitat: |
Only
found in undisturbed primary rainforest |
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| Population: |
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| Status:
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Listed
by USFWS as endangered and protected by CITES Appendix I |
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| Fun
Facts |
| 1. |
Lemurs
get their name from the Ancient Roman belief that they were ghosts
or spirits. They were mistaken for specters because of their nocturnal,
stealth habits. |
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| 2. |
Ruffed
lemurs are quadrupedal, using all their limbs for locomotion. Their
long tails allow for even better stability in the trees. In fact,
most hang upside down, holding on by their feet, when feeding! |
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| 3. |
Lemurs
rely on their sense of smell as a way of communicating with other
animals. They have special scent glands on their wrists and bottoms
that leave scent trails on branches to mark their territories. |
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| 4. |
A lemur's
soft, broad fingers and toes have flat nails that allow it to grip
objects and groom other lemurs. |
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| 5. |
These
prosimians are quite social and the groups have clearly defined male
and female hierarchies. Most communities number 2 to 5 individuals,
but can reach up to 16. |
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| 6. |
A female
lemur carries her newborn in her mouth until the baby is able to cling
to the fur on mother's stomach or back. |
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| Ecology
and Conservation |
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Lemurs
fill an important ecological role of Madagascar. These primates
often feed on an assortment of seasonal fruits and as they travel
throughout their environment, they disperse undigested seeds in
their manure within 2 to 3 hours. The seeds soon sprout to replenish
the vegetation that sustains Madagascar's unique inhabitants. This
is very important on an island where over 80% of the original habitats
have been lost to logging and agriculture. The Malagasy people struggle
to save their country's dwindling biodiversity. They maintain national
parks to protect wildlife, support the ecotourism industry, and
search for less damaging methods of farming.
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| Bibliography |
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Burton,
J. (ed.). The Atlas of Endangered Species. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Co., 1991.
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Macdonald,
D.(ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol 1. London: Equinox
Ltd., 1984. |
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Nowak,
R. Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol 1. London: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1991.
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Preston-Mafham,
Ken. Madagascar: A Natural History. Oxford: Ken Preston-Mafham,
1991. |
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Preston-Mafham,
Rod and Ken. 1999. Primates of the World. Sterling Pub., New
York. |
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Rowe,
Noel. 1996. The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. Pogonios
Press, NY. |
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Tattersall,
Ian. The Primates of Madagascar. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1982. |
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