![]() ![]() Lemur troops claim sizable territories which may overlap with those of other troops. Males tend to be confined to a lower or outer limit of group activity and will alternate between troops approximately every 3 years. ![]() Social hierarchies are determined by sex.įemales have a distinct hierarchy and socially dominate males in all circumstances, including feeding priority. The Lemur is diurnal (an animal that is active during the daytime and rests during the night) and inhabits both the ground (terrestrial) and the trees (arboreal) and forms troops of up to 25 individuals. Such forests are now being cleared at an alarming rate. The Lemur is thought to require primary forest (forests which have remained undisturbed by human activity) in order to survive. Some also inhabit wet, closed brush where few trees grow. They inhabit deciduous forests with grass floors or forests along riverbanks (gallery forests). Lemurs have several different habitats on Madagascar ranging from rainforests to dry areas of the island. Additionally, it has been observed eating decayed wood, earth, insects and small vertebrates. The Lemur is also known to eat flowers, herbs, bark and sap. When available, tamarind can make up as much as 50% of the Lemurs diet yearly. The Lemur primarily eats fruits and leaves, particularly those of the ‘tamarind tree’ (Tamarindus indica). These big tails also help lemurs balance when they leap from tree to tree. Lemurs have big, bushy tails that they wave in the air as another form of communication. When other lemurs pass by, they smell those odours and can tell that another lemur has been there. Lemurs have scent glands on their behinds and on their feet that leave odours on surfaces they encounter. Lemurs use their sense of smell to communicate with each other. ![]() Adults may reach a body length of 46 centimetres (18 inches) and a weight of 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds). Lemurs eyes are a bright yellow or orange color, which stay the same color from the time they are born. These primates also groom orally by licking and tooth-scraping with narrow, horizontal lower incisors and canines, called a ‘tooth comb’. Lemurs have one claw, known as a ‘toilet claw’ (a comb-like claw), on the second toe of each hind limb specialized for grooming purposes. Their fingers are slender and semi-dexterous (semi-skillful) with flat, human-like nails. The Lemur has hind limbs longer than their forelimbs and the palms and soles are padded with soft, leathery skin. Their tails are longer than their bodies at up to 56 centimetres (22 inches) in length. Lemurs tails always begin with a white stripe and ends with a black one. The lemur can easily be recognised by its long, bushy tail that is ringed with twenty six black and white rings. Lemurs have a slender frame, a narrow face that is white with black patches around the eyes and a black fox-like muzzle. Rainforest Lemurs are mostly grey with white underparts. Like all other lemurs, it is found only on the island of Madagascar and the Comoros Islands off of the East Coast of Africa.Īlthough threatened by habitat destruction and therefore listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List, the Ring-tailed Lemur is the most populous lemur in zoos worldwide as they reproduce readily in captivity. The Lemur or Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur Catta) is a large prosimian (representing forms that were ancestral to monkeys, apes and humans), belonging to the family Lemuridae’. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |