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| Lemur |
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| Common
Name: |
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: |
Lemur
catta (ringtailed); Lemur fulvus (brown); Lemur macaco
(black); Lemur mongoz (mongoose); Lemur coronatus (crowned);
Lemur rubriventer (red-bellied) |
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| Fast
Facts |
| Description:
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active,
tree-dwelling primates with cat like nose and whiskers; fur is soft
and coloration varies from reddish brown to gray and black. 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:
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head
and body length: 12.5 to 70 cm (4-27.5 in.); tail length: 5 to 15.5
cm (2-6.1 in.) |
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| Weight:
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.5 to
3 kg (1.1-6.6 lb.) |
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| Diet:
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predominantly
vegetation such as flowers, fruit, and leaves; occasionally insects
and small vertebrates |
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| Gestation: |
2 to
5 months; 1 to 4 young per birth |
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| Sexual
maturity: |
14 to
15 months old |
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| Life
span: |
18 years
or older |
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| Range:
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| Habitat:
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tropical
rain forest and dry thornbrush of Madagascar |
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| Population: |
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| Status:
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listed
by USFWS as endangered and protected by CITES |
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| Fun
Facts |
| 1. |
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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| 2. |
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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| 3. |
These
prosimians are quite social and the troops have clearly defined male
and female hierarchies. |
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| 4. |
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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| 5. |
The
lemur's thick bushy tail serves as a visual signal when it's threatened
or as a balancing tool when it leaps through the trees. |
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| Ecology
and Conservation |
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Lemurs
fill an important ecological role on the island 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. 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 Emcyclopedia 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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Tattersall,
Ian. The Primates of Madagascar. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1982. |
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to Animal Bytes |
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