lemur

=Lemur=

Contributed by Cecilia10

 * Scientific Name: Lemur catta**

Lemur in Latin means "ghost" and many of the Malagasy people believe lemurs are similar to spirits or ghosts because of their hunting stare and night activites. http://lemur.duke.edu/animals/whatis.php

Size: Head and body 51-60cm, tail a little longer, 3.2-4.5kg, scent glands on feet and backside. [| www.as.ua.edu/ant/bindon/ant270/Birmingham Zoo.pdf - Similar pages] occassionally eat insects or smaller animals. http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/lemur.html
 * Diet:** Lemurs usually have a vegetarian diet, consisting of leaves and fruit, although they will

Population: 10,000 to 15,000 Galapagos tortoises occur in the wild. http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/lemur.html

Lifespan: Their lifespan in captivity is about 18 years but many live to 20. http://www.answers.com/topic/black-and-white-ruffed-lemur

Habits: Most lemurs are arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees and bushes. They have a good grip for hanging on to branches. Only the Ringtail lemur spends most of its time on the ground. Usually lemurs that are awake during the day live in groups. Besides using scent glands and tails to communicate, they also make noise. Nocturnal lemurs, that are active at night tend to live alone. All lemurs are found in only Madagascar, and the neighboring Comores Islands. But on these islands lemurs live in variety of habits. Some live in moist, tropical rainforest, while others live in dry desert areas. http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/lemur.html

neighboring Comores Islands. Eastern coast of Madagascar. http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/lemur.html http://www.kidsgowild.com/kidsgowild/animalfacts/88075/88652
 * Range:** All lemurs are found only in Madagascar (an island off the coast of Africa), and the

http://www.kidsgowild.com/kidsgowild/animalfacts/88075/88652
 * Offspring:** These lemurs usually have one or two offspring; most often, twins are born.

Interesting Facts: in the last centuries, due mainly to habitat destruction ([|deforestation]) and hunting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemur
 * All lemurs are [|endangered species] or [|threatened species], many species became already extinct
 * Lemurs** are members of a class of [|primates] known as [|prosimians] and make up the infraorder
 * Lemuriformes**.

More Links: http://www.conservation.org/ImageCache/madagascar/flash/tour.html