Lemurs are native; unique and endemic in Madagascar. It means that only in Madagascar that, lemurs in wild virtually can be found. So, let’s learn fact about lemurs
- WHERE DO LEMURS LIVE, WHERE LEMURS ARE FOUND IN?
Lemurs in wild, can be found only in Madagascar. Madagascar located 250 miles of the East of Africa; separated by the Mozambique channel, the 4th largest island in the world.
To see the lemurs in wild, you’ll want to go to one of these park – bests for lemur spotting
- ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK
- PALMARIUM RESERV
- VAKONA RESER
- ANJA RESERV in Ambalavao
- RANOMAFANA NATIONAL Park
- ISALO NATIONAL PARK
- ZOMBITSE NATIONAL PARK
- MAROJEJY National Park
- MOUNTAIN AMBER NATIONAL PARK
- ANKARAFANTSIKA NATIONAL PARK
- ANKARANA PARK
- 2) ORIGIN OF LEMURS
Until 160 million years ago, Madagascar was attached to the African mainland as part as continent Gondwana (formed of Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, India and Madagascar) .As Gondwana broke apart, Madagascar moved away from Africa.
The first lemurs like primates, appeared on 60 million years ago in mainland to Madagascar across the Mozambique channel. This migration results by natural floating rafts.
3) WHAT ANIMALS LOOK LIKE LEMURS / ARE LEMURS RELATED TO MONKEY
Lemurs look something like a cat, crossed with the squirrel and a dog, with a tail, lemurs have 5 fingers with hard nail. Lemurs are mammal.
Lemurs are prosimians, a type of primate, belonging to the suborder of Strepsirrhini.
Lemurs came from the same family as gorillas, monkeys, apes. Un like monkeys, lemurs have a wet nose and rely more heavily on their sense of smell than monkeys; Lemurs are considered the world’s oldest primates.
Lemurs appearance diet and habitat varied between the different species, but each ones plays a role in rich and varied ecosystem of Madagascar
4)RULE OF LEMURS TOWARDS ECOSYSTEM , ADAPATION OF THE LEMURS
As Madagascar hotpot of biodiversity of fauna and flora. Lemurs involved and adapted in different types of existing ecosystems, Lemurs amazing adaptations, with so much diversity,
Lemurs play a role in the ecosystem by being a seed disperser. It means, they help seeds to move from one area to another by his excrement.
Lemurs help pollen move from one area to another with his leg, an example the black and white ruffed lemurs.
5) BLUE EYES AND LEMURS
Besides humans, lemurs are one of the only primate that have blue eyes. This species discovered in 1985, and know critically endangered. This lémurs is the Blue eyes black lémurs
6) ARE LEMURS ENDANGERED ?
As a result of habitat loss, Lemurs are endangered due mainly to deforestation, slash and burn agriculture « TAVY » cultural Fady and Taboos,
7)WHAT DO LEMURS EAT
Lemurs have an incredible variety of diet. Lemurs eat leaves, insects, larves, and fruits. Lemurs are insectivorous, herbivorous,
Usually; lemurs don’t drink a water and lemurs doesn’t eat meat, lemurs are not a carnivore
8) BEHAVIOR OF LEMURS
As we know, Lemurs as primate highly intelligent and adaptive, Lemurs share some of social and behavioral characteristics of monkeys, like forming social group, eating fruits and vegetation, and being active during the day. So lémurs can be nocturnal, diurnal
Nocturnal lemurs are typically smaller and live alone, and more reclusive than their diurnal counterparts.
- Lemurs are vocal animals, an interesting behavior from making sounds as Indri Indri singing like a whale, a loud sound for loving call, alarm call, communicate call, marking territory call.
In the rainforest of East Madagascar specially, you will hear the song of INDRI INDRI in the morning.
- Dancing across the sand like a ballet dance for the Sifaka in BERENTY RESERV
- Lemurs have a female dominant, a female as a chief. Lemurs female show sign of dominance in the way, she marks territories within group, she shows physical aggression, lemurs female smatch food away from the males, lemurs female leads the group and group follow her as matriarchal system
- Lemurs are animal loves to bask in the sun
- Lemurs are not dangerous; lemurs are not aggressive except you get close to them
- Lemurs are not a pets,
- As Lemurs mammals, they don’t lay egg. They give birth, they give a baby lemur. A breeding season lasts 1- 3 months, Mating in April. Lemurs gives baby lemurs in August
- Lemurs doesn’t eat meat, but anyway lemurs eat frog
- 9) THERE ARE 112 SPECIES OF LEMURS IN MADAGASCAR
There are 112 species of lemurs in Madagascar. The smallest Madame Berthe’s mouse lemurs with an average body weight of 30g, and the bigger INDRI INDRI with about 6-9 kilos
The number of lemurs’ species changes often due to new discoveries. The last discovery is the Lemurs JONAH RATSIMABAZAFY
RING TAILED LEMURS or LEMUR CATTA is almost Madagascar Trademark, with the cartoon Madagascar in King Julian; Family of Lemuridae. Ring Tailed Lemur is the most terrestrial of the living lemurs. Ring tailed lemurs is diurnal lemurs, easily recognized by its black and white ringed tail
You have opportunity to see Ring Tailed Lemurs or Maki Catta or Lemur Catta in Anja reserv, Vakona reserv
MOUSE LEMURS Family of Cheirogalidae /Microcebus Lemurs are the tiniest lemurs,. It’s the smallest primate on the world’s at about 30g to 60g .
All members of Mouse lemurs are nocturnal lemurs. Sleeping during the day in small nests of leaves or in tree holes,
The diet is varied of fruits, flowers, nectar, small amphibians,
You have opportunity to see Mouse lemurs in East Rainforest of Analamazaotra, Andasibe National Park, in rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, In Palmarium reserv . In the dry forest Kirindy reserv for Madame Berthe’s, in the dry forest of Ankarafantsika National Park
SIFAKA PROPITHECUS SIMPONAS : Family of Indridae , Propithecus Sifaka are diurnal lemurs, with long tails and legs relative to their trunk and arms. The diet consists principally of leaves, fruits and flowers
You have opportunity to see Sifaka in Marojejy for the Silky Sifaka , Coquerel’s Sifaka in Palmarium reserv , Famous Sifaka dancing Verreaux Sifaka in Berenty reserv, Diadema Sifaka Propithecus Diadema in the rainforest Andasibe National Park , rainforest of Ranomafana national park ,
Sifaka does not drink water. Sifaka is famous for his ability to leap from trunk to trunk of spiny tree like cactus
BAMBOO LEMURS Family of Lemuridae ;Bamboo lemurs is diurnal lemurs. Bamboo lemurs specialize in eating bamboo although they take other food items as well . Bamboo lemurs have diet of fruits and leaves ,
You have opportunity to see Gray Bamboo lemurs in East Rainforest of Andasibe National Park, Vakona reserv , Alaotra Mangoro
INDRI INDRI Family of Indridae, Indri indri is the largest and bigger lemurs with a short tail , It’s the diurnal lemurs, live in small territorial family group , recognize with his darker color
INDRI INDRI is folivore , on a diet mostly immature leaves, seeds, fruits and flowers.
INDRI INDRI is famous for him vocalization so loud
You have opportunities to see INDRI INDRI in the East Rainforest of Andasibe National Park, In Palmarium reserv
AYE AYE family of DAUBENTONIIDAE : Nocturnal lemurs that differs from the other lemurs in anatomical and behavioral .AYE AYE DAUBENTAUNIA MADAGASCARIENCIS with its enormous yellow eyes, long middle fingers which is used to forage for bugs and nectar, among them distinctive dental formula , incisor teeth ; with the large ears that are almost used to locate insect larva in decayed wood. With the long and large tail
Unfortunately, their ressemblance to monster has not gone unnoticed by the local population ,who incorporate them into tabous . Because population mind that Aye Aye give them bad luck .
10)THE PREDATOR OF THE LEMURS
The predator of the lemurs are Fosa Madagascariencis , snake , birds like eagle for the baby lemurs
Fosa like wild cat is animal carnivore, he is able to jump on the tree for catching the lemurs