LEMUR FACTS
The name ‘lemur’ means ‘spirits of the night’, possibly relating to some species which are nocturnal and rely on good eyesight and well developed senses of hearing and smell
HOW ARE LEMURS CLASSIFIED?
- (c) Teague O'Mara
Living things can be organised into different groups. Species that are alike are grouped together. This is called classification.
Class: Mammals
Order: Primates
Family: Cheirogaleidae
Lemuridae
Megaladapidae
Indriidae
Daubentoniidae
Species: Up to100 different species
LEMURS ARE SPECIAL
Lemur species vary in size from the tiny 30g pygmy mouse lemur which could sit on a human thumb, to the 10kg indri, with beautiful black and white fur and haunting calls.
DISTRIBUTION
Lemurs are only found on the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, 250 miles off the coast of south-east Africa.
Map showing distribution of ring- tailed lemur (Lemur catta)
HABITAT
Madagascar has a very diverse ecology, and its lemurs live in a variety of habitats - some lemurs live in moist, tropical rainforests, while others live in dry desert areas. Most lemurs spend their time in trees and bushes but the ring-tailed lemur spends most of its time on the ground.
DIET
Most lemur species prefer to eat fruit when it is abundant, but lemurs can be highly opportunistic and can therefore have variable diets. It is thought that the smallest species primarily eat fruit and insects, while the larger species are more herbivorous, consuming mostly plant material.
ADAPTATIONS
Lemurs show high diversification among species, with a variety of adaptations suited to their different habitats. Most lemurs possess a thin elongated nail, called a toilet-claw, on their second toe which they use for scratching and grooming. The sexes do not tend to differ in size as in other primates.
BEHAVIOUR
Unlike other primates, female lemurs are socially dominant. Lemurs are very sociable and communicate more with scents and vocalisations than with visual signals.
SOCIETY
Nocturnal lemur species tend to forage alone at night but often nest in groups during the day. Diurnal species exhibit many of the social systems seen in other primates, living in social groups of around 15 members.
REPRODUCTION
Most lemurs are seasonal breeders with very short mating and birth seasons, timed to coincide with the availability of resources in their environment. The gestation period ranges from 9 weeks in mouse lemurs to 24 weeks in other lemur subspecies. The smaller lemurs usually give birth to more than one infant, whereas the larger lemurs usually have only one offspring.
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