Loriids belong to a fairly large family of primates. These arboreal inhabitants are relatives of the galagidae family, and together form the infra-order Lorisiformes. All members of this genus are classified as vulnerable or endangered species.
Lemur loris in natural conditions
A slow and very cautious animal leads predominantly night look life and quite rarely joins groups. This family includes four genera and about ten species, but the slow loris is the most popular.
This is interesting! Around the eyes of representatives of the genus there is a dark border, reminiscent of glasses and separated by a light stripe, due to which scientists gave the name “loeris”, which means “clown” in Dutch.
Characteristics and description
Loris have a thick and soft coat, which is most often gray or brown in color with a darker shade on the back. Characteristic is the presence of large eyes and small ears, which can be hidden under the fur.
The thumbs are opposed to the others, and index fingers can be classified as vestigial organs. The tail is short or completely absent. Depending on the species, the body length varies between 17-40 cm, with a body weight of 0.3-2.0 kg.
The most common types in nature are:
- small or dwarf loris with a body length of 18-21 cm;
- slow loris with a body length of 26-38 cm;
- Javan loris with a body length of 24-38 cm;
- slow loris with a body length of 18-38.
This is interesting! In nature, the animal periodically falls into prolonged hibernation or the so-called state of physiological torpor, which allows the animal to relatively easily survive hunger or adverse external influences of weather factors.
Habitat
Loriaceae in natural conditions inhabit tropical forests in the territory Central Africa, and are also common in some areas of the Southern and Southeast Asian countries. The little loris lives in forest areas Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The area of distribution of the slow loris is the territory of the Malay Peninsula, the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
The Javan loris is endemic. It inhabits the central and western part of the Indonesian island of Java. Slow lorises come from tropical forests Bangladesh, northeastern India, Indochina and western Indonesia, and are also found on the northern edge of China and the eastern Philippines.
Lemur food
Under natural conditions, the standard diet Lori's nutrition includes both living organisms and food of plant origin. The exotic animal feeds on various crickets, lizards, small birds and their eggs.
The peculiarity of the loris is its ability to eat even poisonous caterpillars and insects, as well as consume resinous secretions tropical trees. Of no small importance in the diet of the lemur is plant food. The animal easily eats fruits, vegetables, herbs, as well as flowering parts of various tropical plants.
Features of reproduction
An exotic animal is characterized by selectivity in finding a mate and in creating a family.. The lemur loris can search for its mate for a long time, remaining alone for a long period of time. The gestation period slightly exceeds six months, after which one or two cubs are born. Born babies are already covered with relatively thick fur, which serves as excellent protection from adverse external influences. The weight of the cub usually does not exceed 100-120 grams, but may vary slightly depending on the species characteristics of the animal.
This is interesting! Not only adults communicate through a certain set of sound signals, but also baby lorises, which, when discomfort occurs, are capable of emitting a fairly loud chirp, and upon hearing it, the female hurries to her baby.
For one and a half to two months, females carry the cubs on themselves. The small animals tenaciously cling to the thick fur on their mother's belly, but can periodically move to the father's fur, returning to the female only for feeding. The duration of lactation of the loris lemur, as a rule, does not exceed five months. Little lemurs acquire independence only at the age of one and a half years, when they are fully strengthened and receive all the vital skills from their parents.
Enemies in nature
Lorises live in the crowns of tall tropical trees, where the animal is able to find shelter, food and protection from many enemies, so this exotic animal rarely descends to the ground. To avoid becoming prey to various predators, lemurs use four limbs to move from branch to branch.
The unusual animal is endowed with a very strong grip, which lasts throughout the day and does not allow the animal to fall to the ground from fatigue. This feature is due to the special structure of the blood vessels in the extremities. The high intensity of blood circulation and metabolic processes prolongs the time of movement of the loris to maximum values.
This is interesting! During the first half of the year, more than half of the loris cubs die not only from various diseases, but also become prey to hawks or poachers, which makes it possible to classify the animal as an endangered species.
Smooth and slow movements - characteristic difference lori. This behavioral feature often helps the animal to hide from natural enemies, the main of which are nocturnal birds of prey, as well as snakes. On earth, almost anyone poses a danger to lemurs. large predators. The main natural enemies of slow lorises are orangutans, as well as variable crested eagles and large pythons.
IN Lately loris, along with many other exotic representatives of the animal world, suffer greatly from active fishing, deforestation, and significant intensification of human activity even in the most remote corners globe. The very high demand of exotic connoisseurs for lemurs has greatly increased the flow of unauthorized trade in many tropical animals, including lorises.
Despite the fact that in natural conditions lorises are usually solitary, in captivity, such animals very willingly live in pairs or not in large groups , so lemurs will need to equip a fairly spacious enclosure. If a terrarium is chosen as a home, then there should be approximately one cubic meter of usable area per adult.
Keeping several male animals indoors at once often becomes the cause of conflicts, which often end not only in the stress of the animal, but also in deep, severe lacerations. Among other things, males tend to mark their territory, so they mark objects indoors with urine and constantly update their scent marks. Removing such marks causes stress for the pet and can even cause the death of the loris.
Diet, nutrition of loris
Today, owners of such exotic animals do not have the opportunity to use fully prepared dry food for feeding lorises, so the animal’s main diet should include the following foods daily:
- pears or apples;
- fresh cucumbers and carrots;
- papaya or melon;
- not too ripe bananas and kiwis;
- raspberries and cherries;
- quail eggs.
It is also very important to supplement the loris’ diet with insects, which can include caterpillars, dragonflies, cockroaches and crickets, and shrimp scalded with boiling water. You can occasionally treat your pet with baby cottage cheese, vegetable and fruit baby purees, nuts, crackers, milk and unsweetened cookies.
Important! Remember that as a result of stress and disturbances in the feeding diet, diabetes can develop, and without proper and timely treatment, the lemur dies very quickly.
Features of care
Of course, not every lover of exotic pets has the opportunity to create optimal living conditions for lorises. Many owners of such tropical animals are disappointed that lemurs are able to sleep curled up in a ball for the whole day. Also, not everyone can get used to the fact that the bites of an angry loris are very painful, and there are even several cases where such a bite provoked anaphylactic shock.
However, there is also significant amount The advantages of keeping such an exotic animal at home:
- there is no unpleasant odor from the animal’s fur;
- gets along well with other pets;
- does not require regular water treatments;
- animal fur does not cause asthmatic attacks or allergic reactions;
- there is no damage to furniture, wallpaper, wiring or interior items;
- adult individuals do not require mandatory castration and sterilization;
- There is no need to systematically trim the claws.
It is important to remember that the loris lemur is a wild animal and, even in a domesticated state, does not allow itself to be trained to a litter tray, can bite and does not at all respond to the nickname given to it by its owner.
Reproduction in captivity
Sexual maturity of male lorises occurs at the age of 17-20 months, and females become sexually mature a little later, at about 18-24 months. At home, loris lemurs breed extremely rarely and very reluctantly. If in its natural habitat a female gives birth only once a year, then at home, even when creating the most comfortable stay, the animal can give birth to one or two cubs in its entire life.
According to the observations of those who raise lorises at home for a long time, it is very difficult to notice pregnancy in a female, so the owner, as a rule, discovers a “new” pet only after its birth. After about six months, the cub is separated from maternal care, and at the age of one and a half years, the loris becomes old enough to live independently. In conditions of captivity, during creation for a pet maximum comfort, an exotic animal can live for two decades, and sometimes more.
A few years ago, a real boom swept across our country, and many animal lovers began to purchase loris to keep in city apartments or a private house. A significant part of the markets in Southeast Asia was flooded great amount these animals, which began to be massively imported to many countries for absolutely ridiculous money. Long and the hard way is accompanied by the death of many animals as a result of severe exhaustion, thirst or hypothermia, so purchasing a healthy exotic is quite difficult.
Important! When choosing, you must make visual inspection animal. The coat should be quite fluffy. A healthy individual has white, strong teeth. The eyes should be shiny, without any discharge.
Tropical animals sold in nurseries must have a veterinary passport, as well as a health certificate and a certificate of origin. average cost individuals, depending on the species, rarity, age and growing conditions may vary. Private breeders offer six-month-old lorises at prices ranging from 5-8 thousand rubles to three tens of thousands of rubles or more. Prices for an animal from a nursery start at 50 thousand rubles and can exceed 120 thousand rubles.
Many superstitious people considered unique animals with wide eyes to be mysterious aliens from other worlds. The first encounters with unusual animals gave rise to fear and horror in people. The animal was named lemur, which means "ghost", "evil spirit". The name stuck with the harmless creatures.
Description and features
Lemur is an amazing living creature. Scientific classification attributes it to the wet-nosed monkeys. Unusual primates vary in appearance and body size. Large individuals of lemurs grow up to 1 meter, the weight of one primate is approximately 8 kg.
Relatives of the dwarf species are almost 5 times smaller, the mass of an individual is only 40-50 grams. The flexible bodies of the animals are slightly elongated, the outline of the head has a flattened appearance.
The animals' faces look like foxes. Vibrissae are located on them in rows - hard hair, sensitive to everything around. Open eyes of a yellow-red tone, less often brownish, are located in front. They give the animal a surprised, slightly frightened expression. Black lemurs have sky-colored eyes, rare for animals.
Most lemurs have long tails that perform different functions: holding on to branches, balancing while jumping, serving as a signal to relatives. Primates always monitor the condition of their luxurious tail.
Five fingers of the upper and lower limbs of the animals are developed for living in trees. Thumb turned away from the rest, which enhances the tenacity of the animal. The claw of the second toe, increased in length, is used for combing dense fur, for which it is nicknamed the toilet claw.
The nails on the other fingers are medium size. Many species of primates groom their fur with their teeth—biting and licking themselves and their partners.
Thanks to their prehensile fingers and tail, lemurs are excellent tree climbers.
In lemurs that live mainly on crowns tall trees, the forelimbs are much longer than the hind limbs in order to hang and cling to branches. “Terrestrial” primates are distinguished, on the contrary, by their hind limbs, which are longer than their forelimbs.
The color of the animals is varied: grayish-brown, brown with a red tint, reddish. The black and white rows of fur on the spiral tail serve as decoration for the ring-tailed lemur.
In nature, primates of various species have a nocturnal and diurnal lifestyle. With the onset of darkness they awaken dwarf species, thin-bodied primates. Terrifying screams and screams of communication between relatives terrify those who hear it for the first time.
There are many different different types lemurs, differing in appearance and color
Indri lemurs are the most diurnal in terms of their habitat - they are often observed basking in the sun in thickets of trees.
Lemur indri
Types of lemurs
On the issue species diversity Lemurs remain an active debate, as a number of independent classifications have been created according to various information bases. What is undeniable is the existence of dozens of species of related primates with similar characteristics, but with inherent differences in size, coat color variations, habits, and lifestyle.
Madagascar crayfish. The primate lives in tropical thickets and practically does not go down. The thick fur is dark brown. On the round head there are orange, sometimes yellowish eyes, and huge spoon-shaped ears.
The teeth of the Madagascar monkey are special - curved incisors, larger in size than usual. Primates settled in the forest zones of the northwestern parts of the island, in the thickets of the eastern part.
A special feature of the arm is the presence of a thin finger, which the lemur uses to remove larvae from crevices.
Dwarf lemur. It is easy to recognize a mouse primate by its brown back and white belly with a soft cream tint. The size of the dwarf primate is comparable to the size of a large mouse - the length of the body including the tail is 17-19 cm, weight is 30-40 g.
The muzzle of the dwarf lemur is shortened, the eyes appear very large due to the dark rings around them. The ears are leathery, almost bare. From a distance, in terms of its method of movement, the animal resembles an ordinary squirrel.
Dwarf mouse lemur
Small-toothed lemur. The animal is of medium size, the length of the body is 26-29 cm. The mass of the individual is approximately 1 kg. Brownish fur covers the back, with an almost black stripe running along the ridge. Small-toothed lemurs are active at night and sleep during daylight hours.
They live in the damp thickets of the southeastern part of Madagascar. Favorite treat primate - greens and juicy fruits.
Small-toothed lemur
Ring-tailed lemur. Among its relatives, this lemur is best known. The second name of the primate is ring-tailed lemur. Locals call the animal katta or maki. The appearance resembles a regular one with a huge striped tail.
The length of the lemur's luxurious decoration is one third of its body weight. The spiral shape of the tail and size play a role important role in building communications with male competitors and other relatives.
The color of catta lemurs is predominantly gray, sometimes there are individuals with a pink-brownish tint. The abdomen and limbs are lighter than the back, the legs are white. Eyes surrounded by circles of black fur.
The behavior of ring-tailed lemurs is characterized by daytime activity and staying on the ground. Cattas gather in large groups, with up to 30 individuals in a family.
The ring-tailed lemur has thirteen black and white rings on its tail.
Macaco lemur. Large primates, up to 45 cm long, weighing almost 3 kg. The tail is longer than the body, reaches 64 cm. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the black color of the males, the females are lighter - the chestnut fur of the back is combined with a brown or gray tone of the belly.
Tufts of wool peek out from the ears: white in females, black in males. Peak activity of primates occurs during the daytime and twilight. My favorite time is the rainy season. The second name for macaco is black lemur.
Male and female macaque lemur
Lemur loris. There is a lot of controversy about whether the primate belongs to lemurs. External resemblance and lifestyle are reminiscent of the inhabitants of Madagascar, but Loriaceae live in Vietnam, Laos, the Java Islands, and Central Asia. The absence of a tail also distinguishes it from other lemurs.
Lorises are adapted to live in trees, although they cannot jump. Life of a lemur becomes active at night , During the day they sleep in the shelters of high crowns.
Lemur vari. Among their relatives, these are large animals with a length of 50-55 cm, a tail reaches 55-65 cm, and the weight of an average individual is 3.5-4.5 kg. Primate fur is contrasting in color: white lemur as if framed by a dark tail, black belly and the surface of the legs from the inside.
The muzzle is also black, only there is a rim of light fur around the eyes. Notable is the white beard that grows from the ears.
White lemur
Lifestyle and habitat
Lemurs are endemic in their attachment to their territory of residence. In the past, animals occupied the entire island territory of Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. When there were no natural enemies, populations increased rapidly due to food diversity.
Today lemurs in Madagascar preserved only in mountain ranges and on individual island areas with open forests and wet jungle vegetation. Sometimes bold individuals end up in city parks and landfill sites.
Many primates hold on family groups, numerical strength from 3 to 30 individuals. Strict order and hierarchy reign in lemur society. Always dominates the pack female Lemur, who chooses her partners. Young females, growing up, often stay in the pack, unlike males who go to other communities.
Many lemurs gather in large family flocks
Unlike family groups, there are individuals who prefer loneliness or living with a partner in a microfamily.
Families, depending on the number of individuals, inhabit “their” territories, marked abundantly with secretions and urine. The area ranges from 10 to 80 hectares. Borders are carefully protected from the invasion of strangers, marked by scratches on tree bark and bitten branches. Both males and females monitor the integrity of the site.
Most lemurs live in trees, which help them navigate a long tail. They create dens and shelters in which they rest, sleep, and breed. Up to 10-15 individuals can accumulate in tree hollows while resting.
Lemur sifaka
Some species sleep directly on branches, clasping them with their forelimbs. When resting, animals curl their tail around their body.
Many lemurs travel considerable distances along plant branches. Moving on the ground also occurs in leaps and bounds with the help of two or four limbs. Verreaux's wet-nosed primates are capable of covering 9-10 meters in one jump. Communication between primates consists of grunts or purrs alternating with high-pitched screams.
Some primates go into torpor during the dry season. An example would be the behavior of dwarf lemurs. The animal's body does not receive nutrition, but uses up the fat reserves stored earlier.
Primates in nature often become food for predators; they are hunted by owls, snakes, and mongooses. A quarter of all mouse lemurs fall prey to natural enemies. Rapid reproduction helps maintain the population.
Nutrition
The diet of lemurs is based on plant foods. Preferences vary among species. Tree-dwelling primates eat ripe fruits, young shoots, inflorescences, seeds, leaves. Even tree bark becomes food for large individuals.
In food, Madagascar bats prefer the milk of coconut nuts and mangoes; the golden lemur feasts on bamboo stems; the ring-tailed lemur likes Indian dates. Small-sized individuals feed on the larvae of various insects, plant resins, nectar and pollen of flowers.
In addition to plant food, the lemur can eat butterflies, spiders, and cockroaches. The mouse lemur eats frogs, insects, and chameleons. Examples of eating small birds and eggs from nests are described. Animal lemur Indri sometimes eats soil to neutralize poisons from plants.
The ways of eating are reminiscent of people, so watching a primate eat a treat in a zoo or house lemur always interesting. The diet of tame animals can be changed, but owners need to take into account the animal's eating habits.
Reproduction and lifespan
Puberty occurs earlier in those lemurs that are smaller in size. Dwarf individuals are ready to reproduce by one year, large indris - by five years.
Pictured is a crowned lemur with a baby
Mating behavior is expressed by loud screams, the desire of individuals to rub against their chosen one, to mark him with their smell. Only indri lemurs form monogamous couples; they remain faithful until the death of their partner. Males of other species do not show concern for the newly born babies; their attention goes to the next partner.
Pregnancy of females lasts from 2 months to 7.5. The offspring of most lemur species appear no more than once a year. An exception is the Madagascar monkey, the female of which bears a baby once every 2-3 years.
Babies, rarely two, are born completely helpless, weighing 100-120 grams. The babies don’t hear anything; they open their eyes on days 3-5. From birth, a grasping reflex is manifested - they quickly find milk on the mother’s abdomen. As the babies grow up, they move onto the female’s back for the next six months.
Caring mothers watch over the fugitives until they get stronger. A baby falling from a tree can be fatal.
Loris lemurs are selective in their partners. They are characterized by high selectivity. In captivity, it is difficult for them to create a pair due to limited choice, which is why many individuals in zoos do not have offspring.
The life expectancy of primates is on average 20 years, although reliable data on certain types are missing. This issue has been studied relatively recently. Individuals whose life lasted 34-37 years are recognized as long-livers.
Baby lemur
Lemur in the photo always attracts a surprised look. In life, this small defenseless creature captivates with its uniqueness and unique appearance.
A lemur is a mammal of the order Primates, suborder Wet-nosed monkeys, infraorder Lemur-like, family Lemuridae.
About 50 million years ago, at the dawn Cenozoic era, the first primates appeared on planet Earth. Over time, they divided into 2 groups - monkeys and prosimians. About 25 million years ago, prosimians gave rise to a group of lemurs. In those distant times, lemurs flourished, but were later driven 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, which is 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 because many of them are nocturnal, disturbing the silence of the tropical forest 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 into lemurs. In fact, lemurs are charming and harmless creatures.
Lemurs have thick hair of various colors, a fluffy and long tail, an often elongated muzzle, and large, close-set eyes. The limbs are grasping with well opposable thumbs. Nails grow on all fingers, only on lower limbs one finger has long claw, which is used by animals for hygienic purposes - with its help they care for their fur and clean their ears..
No one can say for sure how many different species and subspecies of lemurs live on the island. Every year, scientists describe more and more new species. If at the end of the 20th century 31 species were classified as lemur-like, today more than a hundred species of lemurs are known, grouped into five families.
Different species of these animals can differ significantly in how appearance both in size and lifestyle. So, if the dwarf mouse lemur weighs no more than 50 grams, then Indri’s weight can reach 10 kilograms.
Nature designed it in such a way that the habitats of all types of lemurs on the island are scattered in spots. Each species has characteristics of behavior, habitat and rhythm of life. Some species hang on trees all day long 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. Daytime ones are usually larger and brighter in color; they love to soak up the sun, lying on the branches of trees. Night wanderers awaken at dusk, filling the forest with screams, start a “marathon” and go in search of food, often covering vast distances. They are even brighter-eyed than their diurnal relatives.
Even the principles of building a lemur family differ from species to 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 upon a time there lived huge lemurs in Madagascar, whose weight reached 200 kilograms! Today, the largest lemur is recognized as the short-tailed Indri (Indri indri), which lives in the northeastern regions of the island. The body length of a babakoto (as the local population calls indri) can reach 90 cm; The indri's tail, compared to other species, is short - about 5 cm. The animal's muzzle is elongated and slightly resembles a dog's, the ears are large and shaggy, and the lips are red. The fur all over the body is very thick with a white-gray-black pattern, and the muzzle is almost hairless.
Lemur indri The indri's diet consists almost entirely of leaves, some of which are poisonous. To neutralize toxins that enter their bodies, the animals periodically eat the soil.
Indri is not only the largest living lemur, but also perhaps the noisiest. If you are lucky enough to be in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, early in the morning you can hear the shrill cries of flocks of indri calling to each other, claiming rights to their territory.
Babakoto are also famous for the fact that they are the most faithful among the entire lemur kingdom. Once they create a pair, they keep it for life. Females occupy a privileged position in the family.
Lemur Vary - a plush miracle
Lemur vari The variegated lemur (Varecia variegata) is another major representative families. These beauties live in the rain forests of the eastern part of the island and feed mainly on fruits. They prefer to live in groups of up to 30 individuals. Matriarchy reigns among the Vars, i.e. females dominate here.
Look at the photo: the lemur's body resembles a plush toy, and its fingers are just like human ones!
And in this species, females also dominate - the leader of a group of 15-20 animals is the largest of the adults.
Bamboo lemur - a charming “gourmet”
There are three species of bamboo lemurs known to science: the golden lemur (Hapalemur aureus), the broad-nosed lemur (great bamboo lemur) (Prolemur simus) and the gray bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus).
It is not for nothing that the animals received such a name, because they cannot imagine their life without succulent bamboo, and each species prefers certain varieties. Between 90 and 98% of their diet comes from bamboo shoots, stems, seeds and fruits. It is noteworthy that in bamboo shoots high concentrations contain cyanide, these substances are fatal for most mammals, but not for the lemur - he spends almost all his time in the thickets of bamboo and puts fresh leaves in his mouth, distracted only to sleep.
The golden bamboo lemur is the rarest species. It is the size of a cat and weighs 1-1.5 kg.
Golden bamboo lemur In the photo below, a large bamboo lemur is one of largest species, found in southeastern Madagascar.
Great bamboo lemur Undoubtedly, all lemurs are charming creatures, but perhaps the cutest are gray bamboo lemurs. These little elves are found in the east and north of the island.
Gray bamboo lemur Catta is the most popular lemur
Perhaps the most famous and “promoted” lemur by popular culture is the catta lemur (Lemur catta) or ring-tailed lemur. The local population calls it "maki".
His distinctive feature– a luxurious ponytail with 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. Catta is the size of a cat, but truly beautiful. The bright white muzzle is decorated with large golden eyes framed by black glasses. The belly, chest, 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 a cat lemur not only because of its long and fluffy tail. The sounds that the catta makes resemble meowing and purring. But this is in a calm state. When the animal is excited or frightened, it squeals loudly and shrilly.
In many reserves, ring-tailed lemurs are practically not afraid of people and can even allow themselves to be petted. Unlike their brothers, they spend a lot of time on the ground. They can walk, leaning on all 4 limbs and raising their tail high, or they can move only on their hind limbs, holding their body upright. In addition, they are capable of making fantastic leaps while remaining upright, just like humans.
In the homes of exotic lovers, it is the ring-tailed lemur that can be found most often than others.
Little hand - the most unusual lemur
The little hand, also known as the Madagascar little hand, also known as the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a truly alien creature. Outwardly, the aye-aye is completely different from its fellow lemurs. There was a time when, due to the peculiar structure of the teeth, the baton was even classified as a tropical rodent. Scientists argued for a long time about what species this should be classified as, but in the end they came to the conclusion that this is not a rodent, but special kind lemurs, only slightly deviating in development from the general trunk of the group.
The slender body, approximately 40 cm long, is covered with hard, straight dark brown or black hair, the tail reaches 60 cm. The muzzle is short compared to other species, 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. Seeing this lemur in person is not so easy; the animal is nocturnal and comes to the ground only occasionally.
Sifaka - the most jumping lemur
Verreaux's sifaka or crested indri (Propithecus verreauxi) lives in the northern part of the island. It is also called the dancing lemur, because it moves along the ground by jumping hind legs, while spreading his arms wide. From the outside it seems as if he is performing some kind of funny dance. In general, sifakas are absolute champions in jumping and flying. They can easily jump onto the second floor of a residential building!
Sifaka is popularly called a sun worshiper. When the sun rises, he sits on a tree branch, raises his hands 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 there are glands that secrete a special lubricant. Hanging on a tree, the animal leaves its scent on the bark, which makes it clear to strangers whose territory it is.
The tiniest lemur
The dwarf mouse lemur (Microcebus myoxinus) is the smallest of the genus of mouse lemurs (you can read more about miniature lemurs). It lives in dry forests in the west of the island. The weight of the lemur does not exceed 40 grams. Look at the photo, the lemur fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, while the baby’s tail is larger than itself!
Sadly, there are very few lemurs left on our planet. Today almost everything known species have become rare and are listed in the Red Book. And man became the reason for the disappearance of these charming creatures. And if lemurs can hide in the foliage from their natural enemies in nature - hawks, then from humans, who exterminate animals for commercial purposes, and also cut down forests and bamboo groves, depriving animals natural environment habitat, there is no salvation. If this continues, then the only place where these amazing defenseless animals can find shelter will be zoos.
In contact with
Lemurs are mammals belonging to the infraorder Lemuridae.
The latter has 101 species, all animals are united into 5 families, each of which has General characteristics and its own characteristics.
In the photo of the lemur you can see a medium-sized primate.
The smallest representative of lemurs is the dwarf mouse lemur. The weight of the animal can reach up to 50 g, and the body size with tail does not exceed 22 cm.
Rat lemur
Extinct lemurs were found in Madagascar that weighed approximately 200 kg. Today, the short-tailed indri is recognized as the largest lemur.
The body length varies from 50 to 70 cm. The weight of the largest primates is 7.5 kg.
Description of representatives of the lemur family
Primates have a dense and long body, the size of the head is small, with a rounded or flattened shape. The muzzle resembles a fox, it is pointed and elongated. Animals have 4 or 5 groups of vibrissae, which they need for touch.
Those around him are captivated by the lemur’s large eyes, close-set and saucer-like. They showed a wary expression of curiosity.
Nocturnal primates have wider eye orbits than diurnal primates. The eyes of animals can be different, even a blue-eyed lemur is found.
The animal lemur has widely spaced incisors and lower incisors adjacent to the fangs. All limbs have 5 fingers on which nails grow. But there are some exceptions - there is a long claw on the second toe.
The Madagascar monkey does not have this characteristic. Lemurs need their nails to comb their fur.
As for the Madagascar bat, the fingers of its limbs are equipped with claws, and its nails are located only on the big toes.
An attractive feature of primates is their gorgeous tail. It can be longer than the body.
Lemurs communicate with each other using their tail. It allows animals to maintain balance when they jump from one branch to another. The short-tailed indri has the smallest tail, its length is only 3-5 cm.
Coat color varies, with individuals having red fur or bright white fur.
There are species with a protective gray-brown color.
Particularly noteworthy is the ring-tailed lemur - its tail, curved in a spiral, is decorated with wide stripes of black and white.
Lemur Habitat
Millions of years ago, lemurs lived in Africa, but 165 million years BC. e. a break occurred. After this, representatives of the population ended up in Madagascar and the islands that are located next to it.
The places where the lemur lives in the wild are considered a unique zone. Animals have adapted to all biotopes in Madagascar and the Comoros Islands.
Discussions regarding the classification of lemurs
At the moment, the final classification has not been determined.
Loris are considered by some to be lemurs, but this opinion may not be accurate.
Loriformes, according to most scientists, rather represent a separate infraorder.
Lemur families
Madagascar crayfish - the only kind family of hand-footed plants. The nocturnal lifestyle of the lemur and its appearance give every reason to compare the animal with a night spirit.
There are 5 genera and 34 species in the family of dwarf primates. All animals resemble mice or rats.
Miniature representatives of lemurs are active at night.
The slender-bodied lemur family includes animals with a slender build. It includes 1 genus and 26 species. Weight Limit the body weight of an individual is 1.2 kg. These primates are characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle.
The lemur family is represented by species that are the most studied.
These include the most beautiful primates - the ring-tailed lemur with stripes on its tail, the crowned lemur with a dark mark on its head, and the ruffed lemur. There are 5 rods and 21 species in this family.
In the Indriaceae family you can find both small and large representatives.
For example: avagis are less than 30 cm, and the short-tailed indri grows up to 70 cm. A feature of animals from this family is the absence hairline on the face.
How does a lemur spend its life?
Mostly primates live in trees. However, there are species that descend to the ground and stay there for quite a long time.
Most lemurs are social or territorial animals. They live in family groups, each of which can number from 3 to 30 individuals.
When communicating with each other, they use sounds similar to grunting or purring. They sleep in trees and eat plant foods.
Each species of lemur has its own mating season. At this time, you can hear animals screaming loudly. Females give birth to offspring every year, except for the Madagascar bat, which gives birth once every 2 or 3 years.
The lemur is easy to train: the animal does not have an aggressive character. An obedient primate needs comfortable conditions for accommodation. He needs a spacious cage with branches or vines for him to climb.
A domestic lemur needs a house with a bedroom. There should always be fresh food in his home drinking water. The diet includes plant foods and animal products.
Lemur photo
Beautiful peculiar animal ring-tailed lemur familiar to many people for its funny appearance. This animal has appeared in more than one cartoon due to its cute appearance and interesting behavior.
Primate ring-tailed lemur belongs to the suborder of wet-nosed animals. Until now, scientists know up to 100 species. Their number also includes 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 wet-nosed primate, which are the oldest primates on earth.
There is incredible diversity within the lemur family. Among them there are very small, one might say even tiny representatives, weighing 30 grams and, on the contrary, large ones weighing up to 10 kg.
For some, it is preferable to be nocturnal, while others prefer to sleep at night. Some lemurs eat strictly, like vegetarians, while others prefer a mixed diet. The same diversity is observed in the color of animals, their shapes and other parameters of appearance.
All types of lemurs are characterized by common features:
- On the second finger hind limbs All lemurs have a long claw. Animals use it to comb their fluffy fur.
“They all have long canines and incisors in the lower jaw.
The names of many animals come from Greek mythology. It is from its sources that the word is translated as night spirit. This name came to these animals because of the mystery nightlife and incredible big eyes like aliens.
Almost nothing is still 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. This is where the first lemurs lived. Since this island was discovered by people, and this is approximately 1500 years ago, for some reason, 8 genera and 16 species of lemurs have disappeared.
As suggested modern zoologists, they all preferred to lead a daily life, were distinguished by their slowness and impressive size.
Maybe that’s why they were an excellent and easy prey for hunters of those times, who greatly valued the meat and skin of lemurs. In addition, these animals did not have a high reproduction rate, and their population density was extremely low 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 disappearing altogether. This is primarily due to the destruction of their usual habitat and environmental disasters. Therefore, many species of lemurs are listed in Krasnaya and are under reliable protection.
Description and features of the ring-tailed lemur
Description of the ring-tailed lemur largely matches the description. In fact, they are very similar to each other. Same size and same gait. A lemur and a cat can be recognized from a distance by their arrogant and flexible gait with their tail raised high.
Ring-tailed lemur in the photo looks like an alien from other worlds. There is something mysterious and mystical about it. A curious fact is that its beautiful tail has 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
Mating season in lemurs it begins in April. At this time, males try in different ways to attract the attention of females and at the same time scare off possible rivals with their scent.
After a 222-day pregnancy, the female gives birth to one cub. The baby is fed breast milk until 6 weeks, after which it gradually transitions to solid food. And at 5 months he can live independently.
IN wildlife these delicate animals find it difficult to survive. It is known that about 50% of young animals die in early age. Those that survive can live up to 20 years in such conditions. In captivity they live up to 30 years.
Recently, it has become fashionable to keep exotic animals at home. Domestic ring-tailed lemurs one of these. In order for the animal to be comfortable, you need to know some important nuances before as buy a ring-tailed lemur.
The main thing is that there is enough space in the cage for its maintenance for free movement. Its 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 ring-tailed lemur at home quite unpretentious. These animals cannot breed in captivity. This is one of their main disadvantages. Ring-tailed lemur price on average reaches up to $1000.
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