Lemurs - interesting facts. Lemurs: photo, types, description Lemurs bask in the sun

Ring-tailed lemur (other names ring-tailed lemur, lemur katta) is the most popular species from the lemur family. Ring-tailed lemur is a member of the order Primates. In Madagascar, the ring-tailed lemur is nicknamed maquis. Lemurs are very cute, funny and kind animals. Below you will find a description and photo of the lemur, as well as learn a lot of interesting things about this unusual and mysterious animal.

What does a lemur look like?

Lemur looks like a slender animal and is comparable in size to a cat. The body length of the ring-tailed lemur varies from 38 to 45 cm. The lemur looks rather unusual. Main pride ring-tailed lemur is his a long tail, which is painted in black and white stripes. The animal lemur has a tail 60 cm long, on which there are approximately 13 black and white stripes. The lemur looks somewhat mystical, due to its unusual coloration and huge yellow eyes.

Lemur looks quite fluffy, because he has a thick coat. The ring-tailed lemur's back is gray in color, sometimes pinkish brown. The paws of the ring-tailed lemur are also colored gray, the head and neck are dark gray. Lemur looks contrasting, due to the combination of shades in which his coat is dyed. The belly and paws on the inside of the ring-tailed lemur have White color. On the white muzzle, the lemur catta has dark triangular spots around the eyes and a black nose.

Lemur looks so long-tailed for a reason. The lemur's tail serves him faithfully all his life. With the help of the tail ring-tailed lemurs communicate with their relatives. Also, the tail allows them to keep balance when climbing and jumping trees, even on the thinnest branches. Lemur looks graceful, because he is very mobile and flexible. Another animal lemur uses its tail as a diffuser of odors. Lemur catta weighs 3.5 kg, while its tail can weigh more than 1.5 kg of the total weight of the animal. It is because of its tail that the animal lemur was called the ring-tailed lemur.

Where do lemurs live and how?

Lemurs live in Madagascar. On this island, the lemur lives almost everywhere. In Madagascar, lemurs live occupying the territory from Fort Dauphine to Monradov. A small number of lemurs live in the Andringitra mountains. Lemurs live in forests and dry open areas.

Among all other lemur species, it is the ring-tailed lemur that spends most of its time on earth. This is due to the fact that lemurs are adapted to live in an arid environment. Animal lemur is active mainly in the dark. ring-tailed lemurs very social animals. Therefore, lemurs live in groups of 20-30 individuals. In each of these groups, a strict hierarchy and unquestioning matriarchy reign. The leading female has the primacy in the choice of food and partner.

Each group has its own territory, which can range from 6 to 23 hectares. Males have sharp fingertips, with which they scratch the bark of young trees. Thus, males mark the boundaries of the territory, because on the paws there are glands that impregnate the bark with a pungent odor. To strangers, the animal lemur shows aggression.

Lemurs go around their property every day in search of food. After the meal, they usually clean their own coats. When an animal lemur moves on the ground, it uses all four paws. In ring-tailed lemurs good vision and developed fingers with flat nails, which facilitates the extraction of food and movement through the branches of trees. Resting and sleeping lemur catta on the trees.

Ring-tailed lemurs are very fond of the sun and willingly enjoy its warmth. Animal lemur loves to sunbathe. During such procedures, he takes an unusual pose and sits with his paws apart. From the outside, it may seem that the lemur catta is meditating. This posture is very unusual for the animal world.

IN social behavior lemur tail plays very important role. When the ring-tailed lemur walks on the ground, it holds its tail upright with particular pride so that it can be seen better. The reason for such pride is also the fact that the tail helps the males in the "stinky fight". They lubricate the tail with a special secret, after which they expose it towards the enemy. This is how all disputes about ranks in the social hierarchy are resolved and the territory is protected from strangers.

The ring-tailed lemur is the most common, compared to other lemurs. But international union Conservation of Nature defines it as an endangered species. Currently, the population of ring-tailed lemurs is declining.

The main threats to ring-tailed lemurs are hunting and deprivation natural areas a habitat. In addition, the animal lemur has a main enemy in Madagascar. This is the fossa beast, it is also called the Madagascar lion.

What does a lemur eat?

Basically, the lemur eats fruit. Therefore, we can say that the ring-tailed lemur is a vegetarian. In addition, lemurs feed on leaves and flowers, as well as herbaceous plants.

Lemur even eats cacti and occasionally insects. Lemurs often look for food on the ground, but they always try to stay close to trees so that in case of danger they can hide on them. Lemur catta is very cautious.

mating season the ring-tailed lemur falls at the end of winter and early spring. At this time, male lemurs arrange truly acrobatic shows on the branches of trees and fight each other with the "stink" of their glands. Animal lemur brings offspring annually. The ring-tailed lemur becomes capable of reproducing offspring at the age of 2-2.5 years. But in its younger years, the animal lemur has fierce competition with older males. Therefore, young male lemur katta will have a chance to acquire offspring only by the age of 5 years.

The ring-tailed lemur has only 1 cub and only occasionally twins are found. A lemur cub is born in August-October. The gestation period for the lemur katta is approximately 220 days. A born lemur cub has a weight of 80 to 120 grams.

Immediately after birth, the lemur cub clings to the mother's fur and hangs on it. For the first few months, females carry their babies on their stomachs, later the baby lemur moves onto their backs.

Already at 2 months old, the lemur cub decides to leave its mother's back for the first time to take short walks. But he still goes back to his mother to eat and sleep. Up to 5 months, the female feeds her cub with milk.

By 6 months, the lemur cub becomes independent. Ring-tailed lemurs can live to be almost 40 years old, but this rarely happens in the wild.

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Beautiful unique animal ring-tailed lemur familiar to many people with their amusing appearance. This animal has got into more than one cartoon due to its cute appearance and interesting behavior.

Primate ring-tailed lemur belongs to the suborder of wet-nosed. Until our time, up to 100 species are known to scientists. They also include extinct animals. Until recently, in 1999, only 31 species belonged to them.

As you can see, there have been some changes in their classification. After these changes ring-tailed lemur prosimian became a strepsirrhine primate, which are the most ancient primates on earth.

There is incredible diversity in the lemur family. Among them there are very small, one might even say tiny representatives, with a weight of 30 grams, and vice versa, large ones with a weight of up to 10 kg.

For some, it is preferable to lead night image life, while others prefer to sleep at night. Some lemurs eat strictly as vegetarians, while others prefer a mixed diet. The same diversity is observed in the color of animals, their forms and other parameters of appearance.

All types of lemurs are characterized common features:

- On the second finger of the hind limbs, all lemurs have a long claw. His animals are used to comb their fluffy fur.

- They all have long fangs and incisors in mandible.

The names of many animals come from Greek mythology. It is from its sources that the word is translated as a night spirit. This name came to these animals because of the mystery nightlife and incredible big eyes like the aliens.

Little is known about how these animals originated. There are several rather fantastic versions about this. Allegedly in the 19th century Indian Ocean was the ancient continent of Lemuria.

Part of this area is an island. It was there that the first lemurs lived. Since this island was discovered by people, and this is about 1500 years ago, for some reason, 8 genera and 16 species of lemurs have disappeared.

As modern zoologists suggest, they all preferred to lead a day life, were distinguished by their slowness and impressive size.

Maybe that's why they were excellent and easy prey for hunters of those times, who greatly appreciated the meat and skin of lemurs. Moreover, these animals did not have high speed reproduction, and their population was extremely low density in those places.

Pictured is a ring-tailed lemur catta

About the ring-tailed lemur and in the present tense it is said to be in danger of extinction altogether. This is primarily due to the destruction of their habitat, environmental disasters. Therefore, many species of lemurs are listed in the Red and are under reliable protection.

Description and features of the ring-tailed lemur

Description of ring-tailed lemur largely matches the description. In fact, they are very similar to each other. Same size, same gait. A lemur and a cat can be recognized from afar by their haughty and plastic gait with their tail held high up.

Ring-tailed lemur in the photo looks like an alien from other worlds. There is something mysterious and mystical about it. Curious is the fact that on his beautiful tail there are exactly 13 stripes, and the tip of the tail is black.

On average, this cute animal weighs about 3.5 kg. Its tail weighs about 1 kg. The body of the animal has a length of 37-44 cm, the length of its tail reaches 60 cm. Its ring-shaped tail bends and has a spiral shape.

Reproduction and lifespan

The mating season for lemurs begins in April. At this time the males different ways they try to attract the attention of females and at the same time scare off possible rivals with their smell.

After 222 days of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one cub. Up to 6 weeks, the baby eats mother's milk, after which it gradually switches to solid food. And at 5 months, he can live on his own.

IN wild nature it is difficult for these gentle animals to survive. It is known that about 50% of young animals die in early age. Those who survived can live up to 20 years under such conditions. In captivity, they live up to 30 years.

IN Lately it became fashionable to keep exotic animals at home. Domestic ring-tailed lemurs one of those. In order for the animal to be comfortable, it is necessary to know some important nuances before buy a ring-tailed lemur.

The main thing is that it is necessary that there is enough space in the cage for its maintenance for free movement. His cage should not be in a draft, the animal is sometimes exposed to colds, like a person.

In the photo, a family of lemurs basks in the sun

In all other matters cat lemur at home quite unpretentious. These animals cannot breed in captivity. This is one of their main disadvantages. Ring-tailed lemur price averages up to $1,000.

Species: Lemur catta Linnaeus, 1758 = catta

Species: Lemur catta = Katta

The sizes are medium and large. Body length 30-45 cm. Tail length 40-51 cm. Muzzle pointed towards the nose. The hairline is soft, relatively long. Katta is brownish-gray above, light below, and alternating black and white rings on the tail. In katta, the hand and foot are long, smooth from below, thumb much smaller than others, in contrast to other representatives of this genus. Katta has specific skin glands on its forelimbs; with the secret of these glands, the lemur lubricates its tail. In addition, the anal skin glands are also highly developed. The upper incisors are small.

Katta is a terrestrial form that lives among the rocks of few dry forest areas. Usually kept in groups of 5 to 20 individuals. They usually lead a daytime lifestyle. Nests are made only by Vari, the rest find shelter under stones, in caves, tree crowns. They feed on both animals and plant food. They prefer fruits and insects. When eating, the prey is held in the front paws. Pregnancy 4-5 months. Usually in March-April the female brings one or two cubs. The lactation period is about 5 months. In captivity, common lemurs have lived up to 25 years.

Widespread in Madagascar.

View: Lemur catta Linnaeus, 1758 = catta

The kata lemur has several names: kata, ring-tailed lemur, ring-tailed lemur, and the local Madagascar name is maquis. Kata is called ring-tailed lemur because it is the size of a cat and makes cat-like sounds: something like meowing or purring. When frightened or when defending from an enemy, a kata lemur can squeal.

Kata lives in the south and south-west of Madagascar from Fort Dauphine to Monradova on the west coast in dry open spaces and forests up to 2600 m above sea level with open areas and rocks.

The body length of the kata lemur is from 30 to 45 centimeters (42.5 cm on average); the length of the tail exceeds the length of the body and ranges from 40 to 60 centimeters. The body of the kata is covered with thick and soft hair. Ring-tailed lemur upper body and head gray color, sometimes dominated by ash-gray or rust-red tones. The lower part of the body is covered with bluish-gray, whitish hair. The muzzle is elongated and pointed, with rounded ears. The upper lip is bare. The muzzle and ears are whitish, the tip of the muzzle and the circumference of the eyes are black. The eyes are bulging, large, close-set, which provides stereoscopic vision. The eyes themselves are lemon yellow. The tail is bushy and adorned with about 13-16 alternating black and white rings.

The ring-tailed lemur weighs 3-3.5 kilograms, while the female is usually somewhat smaller than the males.

Katta is the only diurnal and terrestrial lemur, spending up to 40% of its time on earth.

The catta begin their day by waking up before dawn and moving from place to place in the branches of the group's "sleep" tree. In the evening, all members of the group gather on such trees, which during the day can feed and travel as part of smaller independent groups. Places to spend the night and rest periodically change.

Shortly after awakening, lemurs move to sunlit areas where they bask in the sun. Ring-tailed lemurs love to sunbathe with their tail and all four limbs outstretched. The "basking" posture in the sun differs from the stereotypical postures of rest.

At the same time, lemurs also like to engage in grooming - chiska wool. In lemurs, six needle-like teeth (4 incisors and 2 canines) form the so-called "brush" in the lower jaw, which serves to comb hair and plays an important role in social grooming. Usually, hair cleaning is done in the morning after sleep and begins with licking and brushing with teeth, and ends with combing the hair with a special toilet claw located on the second toe of the hind limb (nails grow on the remaining fingers). The same finger is also used for cleaning the ears.

Hungry, lemurs begin to search for food. When moving ahead of the group, the dominant male acts, and the subdominants close the procession. Long striped tails provide group coordination. In a day they can cover 500-1000 meters, up to 6 km, and in one transition they usually overcome up to 200 meters.

Katta climb trees well. Their limbs are of a grasping type of medium length, while the hind limbs are longer than the front ones, and the hand and foot are long, smooth from below. Movable fingers and an opposing thumb allow the ring to wrap around branches, and the presence of flat nails does not interfere with such a grip, and all this makes it easy to jump from tree to tree.

Due to the emergency seasonal variability environment where they live, lemurs must exploit a wide variety of food sources all year round. They eat best ripe fruits, leaves, leafy stems, flowers, and a wide variety of animals: spiders, caterpillars, cicadas, grasshoppers, insect cocoons, birds, chameleons, and even waste from termite mounds. On occasion, eggs of birds and other small animals are consumed. A fairly perfect device of the hand allows katta to easily pluck fruits and leaves. While eating, katta takes fruit with its paws, peels off the peel with its teeth, and throwing its head back eats the pulp, trying not to stain the fur with juice.

One of the most important sources of food is Indian dates (Tamarindus indica), which are not only plentiful, but with their fruits and leafy shoots provide them with food up to 50% all year round. In the driest parts of their range, the availability and accessibility of water is potentially serious problem. Kata lemurs can also get water from succulents.

Depending on the time of year, they usually rest again in the middle of the day after lunch, especially on hot days. After resting for lunch, they become active again when they feed and travel until the evening. About 33% of their time lemurs spend on the ground, the rest - in the middle or upper tiers of trees (23% and 25%, respectively), in bushes (13%), and in other places (6%).

Kata climb rocks well, they can easily hang upside down, clinging to a branch with their paws. On the ground they move by jumps, bouncing up to 3 m without any visible effort.

In intra-group communication, katta actively use their famous tail as the main means of communication: by changing its position, raising or lowering, they give signals to partners. Usually the lemur kata holds its tail over its back. Starting communication, he directs the tail towards another individual. In response, peculiar purring and meowing sounds are heard. Usually such contact is preceded by aromatization of the tail. Lemur passes it under his belly and presses his tip to internal parties right and left forearm, where the glands are located, marked with horny spines. Then katta, sitting on its hind legs, rubs the tail with its hands, smearing the applied secret over its surface.

Manipulation of inedible objects in lemurs is well developed, which is regarded as an important pre-adaptation for the development of intelligence. In handling various objects, lemurs usually share their forelimbs and mouth. They often pick up food from the ground with their mouths, pick fruits or take them with their forelimbs, one or two, and immediately bring them to their mouths.

IN social structure there are similarities with higher primates. Contacts in the group are mostly friendly (in addition to grooming, this is also touching with the tip of the nose, bouncing, fighting), but there are also aggressive outbursts.

Kata lives in groups of 5-25 individuals, the core of which is adult females, they are also in the lead in the herd. They have the pre-emptive right in choosing food and a sexual partner. In her native herd, the female spends her whole life, while the males travel in search of a new group when they reach puberty.

There are two independent female and male dominance hierarchies, with females dominating males. The hierarchy of females is stable. The dominance of the male is constantly established in fights. During the breeding season, the locomotor activity of males increases, their hierarchy is destroyed, and is restored only after the end of the mating season.

The family group occupies an area of ​​5.7 - 8.8 ha, up to 0.2 km2, which lemurs bypass every day in search of food along certain routes, the direction of which is determined by the location of food objects. Observations have shown that the boundaries of the territory of individual groups of ring-tailed lemurs are very stable, and the owners of the site show aggression towards strangers.

The mating season is strictly seasonal, begins in mid-April, cubs appear in August-September. In kata, mating and birth groups in females are extremely synchronized: all babies are usually born within a few days.

After 130-138 days (average -135 days) of pregnancy, the female usually gives birth to 1 cub, but if there is abundant food, twins are also born.

The tenacity of the fingers does a good service to the young lemurs; a newborn baby, immediately after birth, grabs the mother's hair on her stomach, travels with her everywhere, and here he is constantly provided with parental caress and care. At the age of two weeks, having become somewhat stronger, he moves onto his mother's back and then rides on her back. At the age of 3-4 weeks, the cub begins to leave the mother's back and makes independent sorties, returning to the mother during sleep and feeding. Mother's milk is the main food for several months, although at the age of one week the cubs begin to eat solid food. At the age of 5-6 months, the cubs practically become independent.

A cub reaches puberty at the age of 3 years (in nature) or at 18 months (in conditions of detention). The female begins to breed, starting at the age of three, and does this annually.

The life span of female kata lemurs in captivity is 20-25 years. In nature, they rarely live to be 16 years old, and the oldest known wild female was between 18 and 20 years of age.

The lifespan of males is less known due to the characteristics of their social system, but in nature apparently reaches 15 years, in captivity - 27 years.

The kata has few enemies, however, a few potential predators include carnivores such as the fossa and civet, various snakes, and brown lemurs, which sometimes capture and eat baby ring-tailed lemurs. Local cats are also responsible for the death of young lemurs.

The main threat to this species is human hunting and habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Khat is listed in the IUCN Red List, and in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade.

Lemur is a mammal of the primate order, suborder Wet-nosed monkeys, infraorder Lemur-like, of the Lemuridae family (Lemuridae).

About 50 million years ago, at dawn cenozoic era, the first primates appeared on planet Earth. Over time, they divided into 2 groups - monkeys and semi-monkeys. Approximately 25 million years ago, prosimians gave rise to a group of lemurs. In those distant times, lemurs flourished, but later they were forced out from everywhere by real monkeys. But there is still a place on Earth where these ancient and mysterious creatures. The magical island of Madagascar, often called the "Island of Lemurs" has become the habitat of these unique representatives fauna.

The word "lemur" itself means "spirit of the deceased" or "ghost". These animals with saucer-like eyes were considered ghosts due to the fact that many of them are nocturnal, breaking the silence rainforest with their sometimes piercing, sometimes mournful cries. And according to local belief, the dead, or those who left people and went to live in the jungle, move to lemurs. In fact, lemurs are charming and harmless creatures.

Lemurs have thick hairline of various colors, the tail is fluffy and long, the muzzle is often elongated, the eyes are large, close-set. Limbs grasping with well opposed thumbs. Nails grow on all fingers, only on the lower limbs one finger has a long claw, which is used by animals for hygienic purposes - with its help they take care of their hair and clean their ears ..

How many live on the island different types and subspecies of lemurs, no one can say for sure. Every year, scientists describe more and more new species. If at the end of the 20th century 31 species were classified as lemurs, today more than a hundred species of lemurs are known, grouped into five families.

Different types of these animals can differ significantly both in appearance and size, and in their way of life. So, if the pygmy mouse lemur weighs no more than 50 grams, then the weight of Indri can reach 10 kilograms.

It is conceived by nature in such a way that the habitats of all types of lemurs on the island are scattered pointwise. Each species has features of behavior, habitat and rhythm of life. Some species hang in trees all day and slowly consume greenery, while others spend more time on the ground hunting insects and small vertebrates. Among these animals there are both diurnal and nocturnal species. Diurnal birds are usually larger and brighter colored, they love to soak up the sun, spread out on the branches of trees. Night vagabonds wake up with the onset of twilight, resounding the forest with a cry, induce a “marafet” and set off in search of food, often overcoming great distances. They are even more big-eyed than their diurnal counterparts.

Even the principles of building a lemur family are different for different species. Some are monogamous, others prefer polygamous harem families, and still others change partners every year.

All lemurs are extremely interesting, amazing and charming. Let's talk about some types in more detail.

Indri - the "giant" among lemurs

They say that once huge lemurs lived in Madagascar, the weight of which reached 200 kilograms! Today, the short-tailed Indri (Indri indri), which lives in the northeastern regions of the island, is recognized as the largest lemur. The body length of babakoto (as the locals call indri) can reach 90 cm; the tail, in comparison with other species, is short in indri - about 5 cm. The muzzle of the animal is elongated and slightly reminiscent of a dog, the ears are large and furry, the lips are red. The coat throughout the body is very thick with a white-gray-black pattern, and the muzzle is almost hairless.

The diet of indri consists almost entirely of leaves, among which poisonous ones also come across. To neutralize the toxins that enter their body, the little animals periodically eat the earth.

Indri is not only the largest living lemur, but also perhaps the noisiest. If you happen to be in national park Andasibe-Mantadia, then early in the morning you can hear the shrill cries that echo flocks of indri, declaring rights to their territory.

Babakoto are also famous for the fact that they are the most faithful among the entire Lemurian kingdom. Once having created a couple, they keep it for life. Females occupy a privileged position in the family.

Lemur vari - plush miracle

Variegated lemur (Varecia variegata) is another major representative families. These beauties live in the rain forests of the eastern part of the island, feed mainly on fruits. They prefer to live in groups of up to 30 individuals. Varia reigns matriarchy, i.e. females dominate here.

Look at the photo: the vari lemur with its body resembles a plush toy, and its fingers are just like human ones!

And this species is also dominated by females - the leader of a group of 15-20 animals is the largest of the adults.

Bamboo lemur - a charming "gourmet"

Three species of bamboo lemurs are known to science: golden lemur (Hapalemur aureus), broad-nosed lemur (large bamboo lemur) (Prolemur simus) and gray bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus).

It is not for nothing that the animals got such a name, because they cannot imagine their life without juicy bamboo, and each species prefers certain varieties. From 90 to 98% of their diet comes from shoots, stems, seeds and fruits of bamboo. It is noteworthy that cyanides are contained in high concentrations of bamboo shoots, for most mammals these substances are fatal, but not for the lemur - it spends almost all the time in bamboo thickets and puts fresh leaves in its mouth, being distracted only to sleep.

The golden bamboo lemur is the most rare view. It is the size of a cat, weighs 1-1.5 kg.

In the photo below, a large bamboo lemur is one of largest species, found in the southeast of Madagascar.

Undoubtedly, all lemurs are charming creatures, but perhaps the cutest are the gray bamboo lemurs. These little elves are found in the east and north of the island.

Katta - the most "hyped" lemur

Perhaps the most famous and "promoted" popular culture lemur - catta lemur (Lemur catta) or ring-tailed lemur. The local population calls it "poppies".

His distinguishing feature- a luxurious tail in black and white rings. By the way, another name for this lemur is “ring-tailed”. It lives in dry woodlands in the south of Madagascar. Katta is the size of a cat, but it is truly beautiful. A white smart muzzle is decorated with large golden eyes framed by black "glasses". The belly, breast, neck and ears are completely white, the fur on the back is gray or pinkish brown. It is noteworthy that the entire skin of the body is black.

This lemur is called feline not only because of the long and fluffy tail. The sounds that katta make are reminiscent of meowing and purring. But it is at rest. When the animal is excited or frightened, it squeals loudly and piercingly.

In many reserves, ring-tailed lemurs are practically not afraid of people and can even afford to be petted. Unlike their counterparts, they spend a lot of time on the ground. They can walk, relying on all 4 limbs and holding their tail high, or they can move only on their hind limbs, keeping their body upright. In addition, they are able to make fantastic jumps while remaining upright, like humans.

In the homes of exotic lovers, you can meet the cat lemur more often than others.

The arm is the most unusual lemur

Armlet, he is Madagascar armlet, he is also ah-ah (Daubentonia madagascariensis) - that's really alien creature. Outwardly, ah-ah is not at all like his fellow lemurs. There was a time when, due to the peculiar structure of the teeth, the arm was even attributed to tropical rodents. Scientists argued for a long time which species to attribute this to, but in the end they came to the conclusion that this was not a rodent, but a special species of lemurs, which only slightly deviated in development from the general trunk of the group.

The slender body, approximately 40 cm long, is covered with stiff, straight, dark brown or black hair, the tail reaches 60 cm. The short muzzle, compared to other species, is decorated with orange-yellow or greenish eyes and huge leathery ears.

Madagascar bats live in the dry forests of the western part of the island. It is not so easy to see this lemur with your own eyes, the animal is nocturnal, and only occasionally descends to the ground.

Sifaka - the most jumping lemur

Sifaka Verro or crested indri (Propithecus verreauxi) lives in the northern part of the island. It is also called the dancing lemur, because it moves on the ground by jumping on its hind legs, while spreading its arms wide. From the side it seems as if he is performing some kind of funny dance. In general, sifaka are absolute champions in jumping and flying. They can easily jump to the second floor of an apartment building!

Sifak is popularly called a sun-worshipper. As the sun rises, he settles down on a tree branch, raises his arms and freezes. It seems as if the animal is praying to its gods. In fact, lemurs bask in the sun specifically to warm their wrists. In this place are glands that secrete a special lubricant. Hanging on a tree, the animal leaves its smell on the bark, which makes it clear to strangers whose territory it is.

The smallest lemur

The pygmy mouse lemur (Microcebus myoxinus) is the smallest of the genus mouse lemurs(you can read more about miniature lemurs). It lives in dry forests in the west of the island. The weight of the lemurchik does not exceed 40 grams. Look at the photo, the lemur fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, while the tail of the crumbs is larger than itself!

Regrettably, there are very few lemurs left on our planet. Today almost all known species become rare and listed in the Red Book. And the reason for the disappearance of these charming creatures was a man. And if from their natural enemies in nature - hawks, lemurs can hide in foliage, then from a person who exterminates animals for commercial purposes, and also cuts down forests and bamboo groves, depriving animals natural environment habitation, no escape. If this continues, then the only place where these amazing defenseless animals can find shelter will be zoos.

In contact with

Stand out side by side interesting features unique to these beings.

Let's find out together what is so unusual about them that attracts the attention of not only researchers, but also ordinary people.

1. The name Lemur in Latin means "ghost of the night."

2. Ring-tailed lemurs spend more time on the ground than all other lemur species.

3. Lemurs are the original inhabitants of the animal world of Madagascar.

4. Lemurs belong to the "prosimians" (Prosimians), special kind primates, the so-called "semi-monkeys".

5. Most small view Lemur, known as the "Dwarf mouse" or "Pygmy mouse" weighs only 30 grams.

6. Unfortunately, due to superstition, locals announced a real hunt for Ai-Ai Lemurs, which they consider to be accomplices of evil spirits and destroy with the help of traps and traps.

7. Lemurs have flat nails, very similar to human ones.

8. The lemur's diet consists mainly of fruits and leaves, and they are especially fond of dates, which can sometimes make up to half of their annual diet.

9. They also eat insects, flowers, grass, bark, drink juice, and sometimes do not disdain rotten wood.

10. Every morning, lemurs bask in the sun, mostly in whole groups.

11. In addition to sounds, these animals also use aromas to communicate with their relatives.

12. It is interesting that lemurs sometimes use the tail when transferring the smell, directing it in the right direction.

13. It is noteworthy that the length of the lemur's tail exceeds the length of the body, exceeding half a meter in some species.

13. On the second finger of each hind limb is the so-called "Toilet claw", which the lemur uses mainly for self-care.

14. Under the threat of attack, lemurs attack the enemy with their short nails.

15. If there is a lack of food, then they simply hibernate for a while.

16. Although the lemur is not a very frequent inhabitant of zoos, nevertheless, these animals do well in captivity.

17. Life expectancy is about eighteen years.

18. In the wrists of the lemur are special glands that emit odors.

19. In addition to communication, these glands are used by males in the so-called "smell war" when they fight for females or territory.

20. Mature age for lemurs, this is two years, but few babies even live up to this time.

21. This is the most distinct species of all primates from humans.

22. Once lemurs lived in Africa, but the monkeys were too strong competitors for them.

23. , the place where they live is the fourth largest island in the world.

24. Lemurs are very different in size: the smallest weighs 30 grams, and the largest can be up to 7 kilograms.

25. Blue-eyed lemurs are one of only two (not including humans) primate species that have truly blue eyes.

26. Lemurs moved from Africa to Madagascar by swimming, using trees that they clung to with their long tails.

27. These animals are able to manage their own metabolism, slowing it down if necessary to save energy when food is scarce.

28. Most species of lemurs spend most of their lives high in the trees where they live.

By the way, when going on a trip to distant Madagascar, you will probably take a bunch of wearable electronics with you, from a camera and a smartphone to a tablet and a laptop, so you will definitely need a reliable and capacious mobile power source, in other words, you will need to buy an additional external battery or even not one. After all, despite the clear progress and successes of Madagascar in technological development, access to stationary electricity is far from being available in all places visited by tourists, and where you can meet lemurs, electricians are often not at all for many miles around.