Tired of the endless series of viral pictures of “seals”, periodically diluted with hedgehogs and ferrets, the Marie Claire editors decided to make their own top list of animals worthy of affection.
Quokka
This touching animal is a real smiley marsupial! His face looks as if a quokka is smiling all the time. A miracle of nature lives in Australia, which, as you know, is generally rich in marsupials. And if kangaroos used to be very popular in this country, now the quokka has won the palm. It's all about her love... for selfies. Quokka is an extremely friendly animal, is absolutely not afraid of people and is happy to be photographed with the most modern gadgets. And one of the quokkas was even presented to the Duchess of Cambridge and her husband during their official visit to Australia. Kate even fed the smiling animal some grass.
Externally, the quokka is very similar to the kangaroo. In terms of size, it is not very large. It can be compared to a domestic cat or a small dog. It has a brown-gray color, thick and short fur, a long tail. Like all marsupials, the quokka prefers to eat leaves and grass, and live in the shade of trees, closer to moisture.
Bearded Tamarin (Emperor Tamarin)
The tamarin is not just bearded, but also imperial. This species of monkey owes its name to its resemblance to the Emperor of Germany and the King of Prussia, William II. It wasn't that they were indistinguishable, but the noble mustaches were at least practically identical. The jungle emperors live in the wilds of the Amazon - they prefer to hide in impenetrable thickets, probably to rule the world on the sly.
By the way, the main ones in the family of tamarins are females - nature also does not deprive them of mustaches, and sometimes the gray beards of females look much more impressive than those of males. As for the territories, here the bearded monkeys show their regal disposition. One small group lives on an area of thirty or even forty hectares. All strangers are certainly expelled. However, imperial tamarins tolerate the proximity of tamarins of other species. Sometimes these South American monkeys even rally against common enemies. And it’s better not to encounter an angry imperial tamarin, because, despite their tiny size, these bearded monkeys have sharp claws, large fangs and desperate courage. The tamarin will fight to the last for its cubs.
Fennec fox
The fennec fox is a tiny animal with huge ears and a sharp, cute face. In fact, representatives of the canid family simply do not exist in the world smaller than the fennec. wildlife. At the same time, it turned out that this little fox gets along well with humans. can be tamed, and if desired, the fennec can even be taught standard commands. For example, like in this video:
The fennec mainly lives in the Sahara Desert - its large ears help it cope with the heat and also contribute to successful hunting. With such locators, the fox catches the slightest rustle of its intended prey - the fennec feeds on insects and small vertebrates. This animal, it turns out, is completely incapable of a solitary existence - tiny foxes live in large families, in which there is always a ruling couple, which is almost impossible to overthrow from the throne.
Common Dormouse
Remember Lewis Carroll's famous tea party in Alice in Wonderland? There in the teapot sat the same dormouse mouse - pretty to the point of disgrace and very small. Of course, in a fairy tale, all animals acquire almost human features, but meanwhile, the representative of rodents is incredibly pretty in real life! In general, dormouse is divided into two types - mouse-shaped and squirrel-shaped. It must be said that the squirrel-shaped dormouse is much prettier than the one that lives on the ground. It's all about her stunning tail, which is covered with fluffy fur! In addition, the dormouse is very tiny - an adult can easily fit in the palm of a person.
Their habitats: North Africa, Europe, Asia Minor, Altai, northern regions China and Japan, the northern parts of Scandinavia and, finally, southern Africa, where the only genus of the same name of the African dormouse is found. It turns out that quite recently it was discovered that dormice of all subspecies are rapidly disappearing from the face of the earth. So, until the last babies died out, scientists listed the animals in the “Red Book” and now mice are also bred at home.
Alpaca
Alpaca belongs to the camel family. These touching creatures live high in the mountains in South America. The fluffy bangs give the alpaca a special charm. By the way, it is precisely by the intricate hairstyle that you can distinguish an alpaca from a llama: after all, it usually has a long hair can not be.
The alpaca is quite small in size: its weight does not exceed sixty kilograms, but it has luxurious wool, which is often used to make clothes. Alpaca wool is very soft and at the same time very durable and light, almost waterproof, with an excellent heat-insulating effect. For 6,000 years, alpacas were bred by the Peruvians along with llamas. But if llamas were used as a beast of burden, alpacas were cared for and cherished.
Aye-aye
They say that the name “Aye-aye” appeared thanks to the exclamations made by anyone who saw the animal for the first time. In fact, this animal is called the Madagascar bat and, as you might guess, lives in Madagascar. Once upon a time they tried to classify him as a rodent, then as a primate, although Ai-ai does not resemble either one or the other. It must be said that it does not resemble anything intelligible at all: a small body covered with black fur, eternally surprised eyes and a huge tail, which is longer than the animal itself.
The only part of aye-aye’s body free of fur is... middle finger on the forelimb, more precisely both middle fingers. Actually, this finger is the most important tool for the arm: it uses it to clean the fur, drink water and get food. When searching for beetles and larvae hidden in the bark of a tree, the little hand always uses its miracle finger. First, he taps the trunk with it, finding suitable prey, then gnaws through the bark (here they use sharp teeth), and finally sticks his middle finger into the hole formed, pricks the larva onto his claw and puts it into his mouth.
Little slow loris
In fact full name this big-eyed animal sounds: “Small fat Laurie", small (its size does not exceed 23 centimeters in length) it lives in tropical forests and bamboo groves in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, parts of China and Cambodia. Sometimes the little fat one is mistakenly considered a lemur, which in fact is not at all the case. Small and thick belongs to its own family - Loriaceae. The most amazing thing is that this handsome guy with short thick hair and incredibly touching huge eyes that are always wide open is poisonous.
On the inside of the animal’s elbow joint there are special glands, the secretions from which, combined with the saliva of the loris, turn into a powerful poison! This is so unusual for primates that the small loris received first place in the ranking of poisonous animals that are unknown to the general public. The fat fellow lives in the treetops, daring to go out only when it gets dark - the poisonous animal has a lot of enemies, so it sometimes has to hang for hours, clinging to a tree branch, which, fortunately, allows the loris to make a specific paw structure.
African black-footed cat
They look like real domestic cats - small, even tiny, because the weight of an adult does not even reach one and a half kilograms. In fact, these striped and charming animals living in Africa are real predators! They hunt, like any other representative of the cat family at night - their miniature shapes and appropriate colors help the seals remain completely invisible, and their large ears catch every sound - no one can hide from such animals. Behind the retina there is a special vascular layer that acts as a reflector necessary for night vision. It increases visual ability and causes the eyes to glow bright blue at night.
In Africa they are called “Antlion” - these little ones live, as a rule, in termite mounds and anthills that they themselves have emptied. By the way, insects are not the only favorite food of Black-footed cats - in addition to ants and termites, small predators prefer to eat another 54 species of a wide variety of animals - brave kids do not stop at game that is sometimes twice their own size - for example, dine on a hare for wild cats- The usual thing.
Red Panda
In China, where the red-haired beauty is found, this representative of the little panda family is called the “fiery fox” - the similarity is obvious: a pointed nose, fur the color of a red Sicilian orange! For a long time, the red panda hung around in space without classification: some scientists classified it as a raccoon, others as a bear, but in the end it turned out that these animals themselves are a separate, independent family of little pandas. The red panda lives not only in China - sometimes the animal can be found in Nepal.
This cute animal lives exclusively in Australia and mainly in eucalyptus forests - if for any other animal eucalyptus leaves are a deadly poison, then koalas are not at all afraid of such a nuisance. The thing is that marsupials are incredibly picky - they know how to choose only those plant flowers that are not capable of causing harm to health.
Another stereotype that haunts gray animals is the lack of thirst; allegedly, even the very name of the animal contains a decoding of a popular opinion; from the Aboriginal language the word “koala” is translated as “teetotal.” In reality, koalas, although infrequently, still drink water.
Meerkat
Meerkats can seem like real alarmists. Still would! As soon as these animals hear the slightest sound, they immediately rise on their hind legs, stretch out and control the space. Meerkats are indeed extremely vigilant; for their caution they even received the humorous title of “desert sentinels.”
A small people live in South Africa, mainly in the desert, since their short stature coupled with nervousness does not allow them to enter dense thickets. Among other things, these representatives of the mongoose family have phenomenal vision, which allows them to notice and assess the threat from afar.
By the way, what allows meerkats to live in the desert without any problems is not only their vision and permanent alertness, but also the structure of their eyes - the fact is that the little beauties have a well-developed third eyelid that protects the organs of vision from sand, and around the eye itself there is a dark border that works like sunglasses.
According to the New York Times, which has been conducting various surveys and studies since 2006, looking at something cute stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain as sex, good food or cocaine.
So why spend money on illegal drugs when you can just open our article and enjoy the sight of the twenty cutest animals in the world? Please note that we did not include kittens playing in a box, puppies, or anything else indoors in this list. There are only wild animals here. But we will tell you in which hot jungles, arid deserts or deep oceans you can see them.
20. Sloth
Lethargic and serene, the sloth lives in the tropical forests of South America. But the sloth is not lazy. It's just very, very slow. So slow that this calm slowness makes him really cute.
Like its larger cousin, the pygmy hippopotamus has squat legs, a wide snout, and extremely advanced swimming skills. But unlike its cousin, the pygmy hippopotamus is not one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
Without the threat of being grabbed by a huge mouth full of teeth, it's easy to admit that a hippopotamus - when it's dwarf-sized - can be quite cute.
The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species. Therefore, it is much easier to find in zoos than in the wild.
The incredibly big-eyed loris is native to the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia and is distinguished by its plush-looking but strong legs. Lori can hang on a tree for several hours, holding on with only one limb. And he does this often.
However, despite its incredibly cute appearance, this animal is poisonous. The poison comes from glands in the elbow and is injected through the teeth. However, it is not powerful enough to save lorises from the illegal pet trade. Therefore, the animal is listed in the Red Book.
The chameleon is one of the most attractive reptiles. Perhaps due to its bulging eyes, sad twisted mouth, prehensile tail or very long tongue.
He also has the remarkable ability to change color depending on mood swings and the ability to move like a sailor during seas. Not the best efficient look transportation, but certainly eye-catching.
About half of the world's chameleons can be found in Madagascar.
Meerkats come from the mongoose family and live in the Kalahari, Namib deserts, South Africa and parts of Angola.
Meerkats are cute not with their faces, which, although far from ugliness, are almost no different from the usual faces of mongooses. The beauty of meerkats is the way they stand, like a human - upright and modestly folding their paws on their stomachs.
Koalas are not as cute as they look. Experts say that the mood of these animals constantly fluctuates from moderately angry to completely angry.
The enduring popularity of koalas shows that in this day and age, good looks can dazzle and make one forget one's personality flaws.
Most koalas live in Australia. Tourists can get to know them closely—hopefully the friendliest—at Lone Pine Koala Park.
Happy Feet, Madagascar, Mr. Popper's Penguins—these squat waterfowl have figured prominently in pop culture.
There are 17 types sea penguins. Most are colored in variations of black and white, none can fly, and all are excellent swimmers. Surprisingly, penguins are also excellent runners.
Six species of these birds live in Antarctica, so the most enjoyable way to admire them is on a cruise. And the team of naturalists on board will help determine which specific penguins you are seeing - adélie, king or emperor.
Red pandas have very little in common with their cousins, the monochrome giant pandas.
With thick ringed tails like a raccoon, pointed ears, reddish-brown coloring and short legs, these arboreal animals were very difficult to classify.
There are very few of these cute animals left in nature. In addition, they are very shy, so meeting them is... great luck. Your best bet would be to visit one of the panda research centers in China.
About four meters long, the white, baby-faced beluga whale, native to the cold seas of the Arctic, is about one-fifth the size of a blue whale.
With its relatively small size, unique face and bump on its forehead, the beluga whale is undoubtedly charming.
In captivity, a beluga whale can chirp on command and let go bubble. Those who would like to see these animals in the wild can contact the Canadian company Sea North Tours, which organizes tours to the beluga whale habitat.
Of course, a real-life clownfish can't talk or bulge its eyes comically, as Pixar showed. But she can do a bunch of other cool things! For example, changing gender.
You can find clownfish next to their underwater friends, sea anemones. The sea anemone's venom does not affect the bright orange fish and protects it from predators. And the clown pays for the protection by eating the remains of the anemone and maintaining cleanliness.
In the Philippines there is a marine reserve with a real city of clownfish, where you will meet hundreds of species of these fish.
Native South American rodents are a shining example of how dangerous it is to be nice. For the sake of the plush skins of these animals, they were mercilessly hunted until their almost complete extinction in the 19th century.
Their skins are so soft because there are 50 hairs per follicle in chinchillas. In humans, for example, one follicle serves only one hair.
It is difficult to see chinchillas in the wild. They are few in number and live in the mountains. A relatively large population of these animals has survived in national reserve Las Chinchillas in Chile.
Roe deer are chestnut colored, about the size of a goat, and are native to England.
According to the British, it is not difficult to meet roe deer while walking through the forest: “If you walk very calmly through a more or less dense forest no later than an hour after the start of sunrise, you will probably meet them.”
Wildwood Park in Kent is home to several species of deer. Including roe deer.
In captivity, bottlenose dolphins are praised for their intelligence and medicinal properties– swimming with dolphins is good for mental health. In the wild, dolphins can become aggressive and form gangs.
However, this doesn't matter to most people - dolphins are so adorable.
Bottlenose dolphins can be found in warm oceans around the world.
Alpaca is prized for its magnificent curly wool, which is used to make sweaters. Alpacas are also very sweet, although they can be quite short-tempered.
You can interact with alpacas at any of the many farms in Peru. And Machu Picchu is a great place to watch wild alpacas.
The hummingbird is the tiniest bird in the world. And it is also the fastest - it flaps its wings 80 times per second.
Slightly larger than a bee, hummingbirds even act similarly. They help plants reproduce by carrying pollen, flitting from branch to branch, and drinking nectar. You can admire hummingbirds on one of the many tours around Cuba.
Sea otters are as smart as they are cute. They use rocks as tools to crack open clams and mussels, and sleep face up on the surface of the water, wrapped in kelp. Sea otters are social and swim together in groups of up to 100 individuals.
From Port Alice, British Columbia, travelers embark on day tours to experience wildlife. Including sea otters.
It is no coincidence that many animals on this list are in danger of extinction. After all, quite often part of what makes them cute is their soft, beautiful skin.
Harp seal pups are covered in fluffy, snow-white fur, making them traditional targets for the fur industry. Despite the fact that the import of their fur has been banned in Europe since 1983, and seal hunting in Canada was banned in 1987, hundreds of thousands of these animals still die at the hands of poachers every year.
You can admire harp seal pups during an excursion off the coast of Quebec.
Black and white coloring, a thick butt and an incredibly thoughtful look when eating bamboo are the qualities that make the panda so charming.
Although the panda has digestive system A predator, it feeds like a herbivore, consuming up to 38 kilograms of bamboo a day. This makes the panda extremely dependent on its environment.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, only 1,600 of these cute bears remain in the wild. You can see them during the 12-day expedition Terra Incognita Ecotours.
The smallest primate in the world, the Philippine tarsier has all the basic qualities of a cute creature: huge eyes, a tiny body no larger than a human fist, and small paws with which it grabs tree branches.
Tarsiers are extremely unhappy in captivity. According to experts, these animals need at least one hectare of space, and captive tarsiers can even commit suicide.
Therefore, you can see tarsiers only in the reserve in the Corella Forest in the Philippines.
Fennec fox, a nocturnal animal of the desert, is immortalized in " The Little Prince"Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as a fox who wanted to be tamed.
The smallest of foxes—smaller than a house cat—with large ears and a tiny, pointed muzzle, the fennec fox looks adorable and seductive. It is not surprising that it is the commercial trapping of fox cubs that poses the greatest threat to these animals, which everyone wants to take home.
For those who prefer to observe this cuddly creature in the wild, there is the Sahara and other dry, sandy areas of North Africa from Morocco to Egypt.
Which animals do you think are the cutest?
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Ecology
According to scientists, eyes evolved about 540 million years ago as a common organ for detecting light. Today, vision is extremely important for many animals, including humans, and it has become very complex and diverse.
Take a look at some of the strangest and most incredible eyes in the animal kingdom.
12. Mountain goat
We all know that pupils are round, because round pupils are what we see most often (in humans), but this cannot be attributed to goats (and most other animals with hooves), which have horizontal slits that take on a rectangular shape when expanded. form. This gives goats the ability to see 320-340 degrees around them, meaning they can see almost everything around them without having to turn their head (for comparison, a person can see 160-210 degrees).
Therefore, animals with rectangular eyes can see better at night due to the presence of large pupils, which are very narrow during the day, as they close to limit the access of light. Interestingly, octopuses also have rectangular pupils.
11. Trilobites
Trilobites were one of the most successful animal groups of all time, thriving for nearly 300 million years, long before dinosaurs inhabited the Earth. Although some species were eyeless, most had compound eyes similar to those of insects.
A strange fact about trilobite eyes is that the shell of their eyes was made of inorganic crystals of calcite (a mineral that is the main component of limestone and chalk). In its pure form, calcite is transparent, which is quite suitable as a material for the eye lens.
These crystal eyes are unique feature trilobites, because the eyes of modern invertebrates consist of the organic substance chitin. Thanks to his unusual composition, the eyes of trilobites were very stiff and were unable to focus on anything, instead, the trilobites adjusted focus using an internal mechanism of the eye, which not only resolved any potential problems associated with the mineral lens, but also gave the trilobites such good vision that they could keep both distant and near objects in focus at the same time.
If this did not seem strange enough to you, then it is worth noting that some trilobites had eyes located at the end of elongated eyelids, while others had eyes that were an overhanging “bandage” that protected them from bright light. sunlight. Because the surface of their eyes was made of calcite, the fossils are very well preserved, so more is known about the vision of trilobites than about any other historical creature in general.
10. Tarsiers
The tarsier is a small (squirrel-sized) nocturnal primate native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the only exclusively carnivorous primate in the world, feeding on lizards and insects. There are even cases where they catch birds during their flight. Their most remarkable feature is undoubtedly their huge eyes, which are the largest of all mammals in relation to body size.
If human eyes were the same proportions as tarsier eyes, they would be the size of grapefruits. These huge eyes sit deep in the skull and cannot rotate in their sockets. To compensate for this, tarsiers have very flexible necks and can rotate their heads 180 degrees, much like an owl, in search of potential prey.
Each eye weighs more than the entire brain, and this animal's vision is very sharp. Moreover, tarsiers have excellent night vision, suggesting that they can even see ultraviolet light. On the other hand, apparently they have very poorly developed color vision, as is the case with many nocturnal animals (including domestic cats and owls).
9. Unique animal chameleon
The chameleon is known for its ability to change color. This helps it communicate and demonstrate its intentions and moods to other chameleons (only a few species use color changes for camouflage). These lizards also have very unusual eyes, their eyelids merge and cover almost the entire eyeball, except for a small hole through which the pupil can see.
Each eye can move independently of the other, so the chameleon can simultaneously scan for prey and potential threats. This also suggests that the chameleon has a 360-degree field of view.
When a chameleon sees a potential victim (these are usually insects, although the most large species feed on mice and other small vertebrates), both eyes are aimed at it, thus achieving the effect of stereoscopic vision, which is very important in this context, considering that the chameleon captures prey by “shooting” its tongue at high speed, a technique that requires accuracy in distance and depth in perception. Chameleons have very keen eyesight, being able to see an insect from several meters away, and like tarsiers, they can see ultraviolet rays.
8. Amazing insect dragonfly
The dragonfly, which is arguably the most fearsome aerial hunter among insects, also has some of the most amazing eyes in the animal kingdom. They are so large that they cover almost the entire head, giving it the appearance of a helmet, and giving a 360-degree view.
These eyes are made up of 30,000 visual elements called ommatidia, each of which contains a lens and a number of light-sensitive cells. Their vision is excellent, they can distinguish a wide range of colors and polarized light, they are especially sensitive to movement, so they can quickly recognize any potential prey or enemy.
Some species of dragonflies that "hunt" at dusk have perfect vision in low light conditions, while we humans are barely able to see anything. Moreover, the dragonfly has three small eyes that can detect movement even faster than the big ones. These eyes quickly send visual information to the central nervous system dragonfly, allowing it to react in a split second.
Perhaps it is thanks to this feature that the origin of the unique acrobatic skills of insects can be explained. Although dragonflies are not the only insects with extra small eyes (some wasps and flies also have them), dragonflies have the most developed eyes.
7. Leaf-tailed gecko
The Satanic gecko (its second name) has rather surreal-looking eyes, their pupils are vertical and have a series of holes that widen at night, allowing these lizards to take in as much light as possible. The eyes also have many more light-sensitive cells than the human eye, giving animals the ability to detect objects and even see colors at night.
To give you an idea of just how amazing the gecko's night vision really is, it's simply worth noting that while cats and sharks can see six and ten times better than humans, leaf-tailed geckos and other nocturnal gecko species can see up to 350 times better than we can. dim light.
These animals also have strange, intricate patterns on their eyes that provide them with camouflage. These lizards have eyelids and their eyes are protected by a transparent membrane, which geckos clean with their tongue.
6. Colossal squid
Not to be confused with the better known but smaller giant squid. The colossal squid is the largest invertebrate known to science, and it also has some of the largest eyes in the animal kingdom. Each squid eye reaches a diameter of up to 30 cm, it can be larger than a plate, and the lens of its eye is the size of an orange. These huge eyes allow the squid to see in dim light, which is very useful for an animal that spends most of its life hunting at depths of more than 2,000 meters.
It should be noted that so far only juvenile colossal squid have been caught, but an adult can grow up to 15 meters in length. These giants have even bigger eyes. Unlike giant squid, the colossal squid has stereoscopic vision, and has an excellent ability to accurately judge distances. Even more amazing feature is that each eye has a built-in “headlight,” an organ that can produce as much light as the squid needs to see its prey in the dark.
4. Four-eyed fish
Found in Mexico, Central America and South America, this fish, measuring up to 32 cm, usually lives in fresh or salt water (although it has been spotted on sea coasts on several occasions). It feeds mainly on insects, so it spends most of its time swimming near the surface.
Despite its name, the four-eyed fish actually has two eyes, each separated by a piece of flesh, with all four "parts" possessing their own pupils. This strange “device” allows the four-eyed fish to see perfectly both above and below the waterline, scanning for prey and predators.
The upper half of the eyeball is adapted for seeing in the air, while the lower half is designed for underwater vision. Although both halves of the eye use the same lens, the thickness of the shell is different in the upper and lower parts, therefore the behavior of the fish in the air and in the water is different.
This means that when the fish's four eyes are completely submerged in water, the upper halves of the eyes are out of focus. Fortunately, the fish spends most of its life at the surface of the water, and dives very rarely only for the purpose of protecting the upper halves of the eyes from dehydration.
4. Stem-eyed fly
These small but fascinating creatures are most often found in the jungles of Southeast Asia and Africa, but there are some species that are found in Europe and North America. They get their name from the long, stem-like structures located on the sides of the head, at the ends of which are the eyes.
Male flies, as a rule, have longer and larger stalks than female flies. In turn, females prefer males with the longest eyestalks. Males often stand facing each other during the mating season and compare their stems; the winner is the one with the longest stem.
Moreover, the male stalk-eyed fly has extraordinary abilities that help him increase the size of his eyes and stalks: they swallow air through the mouth and “push” it through the ducts into the eyestalks. They mostly do this during mating season.
3. Dolichopteryx longipes
This deep sea fish, which has one of the strangest eye structures known to science. Each eye has a side swelling called a diverticulum, which is separated from the main eye by a septum. While the main part of the eye has a membrane and functions that are similar to those of the eyes of other animals, the diverticulum has a curved composite "mirror" consisting of several layers of crystals.
This "mirror" collects much more light than a normal eye. The diverticulum reflects light and focuses it on the retina, allowing the fish to see both above and below at the same time.
This fish is the only known vertebrate that uses the mirror structure of the eye to simply see, much like a normal lens. It can be found in different parts of the world, but it is extremely rare to see it, because the fish spends most of its life at a depth of 1000-2000 meters. They feed on small crustaceans and plankton, and their body length is about 18 cm.
2. Spiders are ogres
These spiders are widely known for having big amount eyes (although their number varies greatly among different species, from 2 to 8). The Spider-Face Ogre has six eyes, but it looks like he only has two because the middle pair is significantly larger than all the others.
All this is created for the convenience of a nightlife lifestyle. With a slightly scary-looking face, spiders have excellent night vision not only thanks to their eyes, but also due to the presence of a layer of extremely sensitive cells covering them.
This membrane is so sensitive that at dawn it destroys itself, and at night a new one appears. This spider's face is unusual because it can see perfectly at night, but it lacks the reflective membrane that helps other spiders (and other predators) see in low light conditions. In fact, scientists believe that this spider actually has night vision that is better than that of a cat, shark, and even an owl (which can see up to 100 times at night better than man).
1. Crayfish are mantises
And finally, we come to the animal that has the strangest and most amazing eyes in the world. Crayfish - mantises - are not shrimp, but arthropods belonging to another species of crustaceans from the order Stomatopods. They are known for their aggressiveness and formidable weapons (they have very powerful and sharp claws that can easily cut a human finger or even break an aquarium glass with one blow). Mantis crayfish are voracious predators that live mainly in tropical waters.
Their eyes are very complex in structure, but similar to the eyes of a dragonfly. They also have ommatidia (about 10,000 per eye), however, in mantis crayfish, each specific part of the ommatidia has a specific function. For example, some of them are used to detect light, others to detect color, etc. Mantis crayfish have much better developed color vision than humans; their eyes have 12 types of color receptors, while humans have only 3.
Moreover, they have ultraviolet, infrared and polarized vision, making their vision the most complex of all animals. The eyes are located at the end of a special stalk and can move independently of each other, rotating 70 degrees. Interestingly, visual information is processed by the eyes themselves, and not by the brain.
Even stranger is the fact that each eye of the mantis crayfish is divided into three parts, allowing the arthropod to see objects from three different perspectives of the same eye. In other words, each eye has "trinocular vision" and full depth perception, meaning that if a cancer loses an eye, the remaining eye will still be able to judge depth and distance as clearly as a person can with their two eyes.
Scientists are just beginning to understand the secrets of vision, similar to that of the crab, the mantis, so this moment we can only imagine how this creature sees the world.
The lemur is rightfully considered one of the most mysterious animals. Everyone can imagine a cute animal with big eyes, familiar from the cartoon “Madagascar,” but not everyone knows that there are 101 species of these animals, very different from each other in lifestyle, color, size, and food preferences. Until recently, virtually nothing was known about them: only 16 species were thought to exist. But recently, the life of these unique animals has been actively studied. Scientists have already made serious discoveries, described each species, and learned what different lemurs eat in nature. But there are still mysteries, and they will be revealed in the near future.
Lemur - description, origin of the name
There is an interesting version about the appearance of the name of this cute animal.
Once upon a time, ancient Roman sailors who visited the island of Madagascar heard piercing screams in the thickets at night, reminiscent of the screams of children. Having gone to help, as they believed, the kids, who most likely wanted to be eaten by predatory animals, they saw rather large eyes burning in the darkness. Fantasy, spurred by fear, forced the Romans to run away, because, in their opinion, “lemurs” lived in the thickets. Translated from the ancient Roman language, this word meant “evil spirits”, “ghosts”.
The sailors did not even believe then that such a cute creature, similar to monkeys or even people, not at all scary and not dangerous, could frighten them so much. Thus, when talking about evil spirits eating children on the island of Madagascar, travelers mentioned lemurs. And the name stuck.
Where do lemurs live?
Lemurs are endemic animals because their habitat is limited to the island of Madagascar and the Comoros Islands, located between Africa and Madagascar. If previously animals occupied almost the entire island of Madagascar, now natural environment they can only be found in the west (from Fort Dauphin to Monradov) and in the Andringitra mountain range.
According to legend, lemurs sailed from Africa on rafts they themselves built. This, of course, could not have happened, but there is some truth in this story. Modern scientists argue that the animals could well have crossed to the island that separated from the continent on large branches and logs during the period of lowering sea levels, and perhaps crossed over the shallows formed during that period. Since they had practically no enemies on the island, the populations grew rapidly. The local nature also helped the lemurs: the forests were full of a variety of suitable food.
According to another version, it was precisely those populations that survived that remained on the part that separated from the mainland and is now Madagascar itself, since there were much fewer enemies and much more food.
Now the places where lemurs live are various forests: dry woodlands, wet jungles, mountain slopes. Most exist alone, preferring night look life. Some species form families.
Sometimes particularly brave representatives wander into city parks or visit landfills in search of food.
If you see lemurs in their natural environment, do not try to catch them: firstly, it is almost impossible; secondly, most species are protected because their populations are declining - you will be responsible for the caught animal.
Description of lemurs
For many, lemurs are cute animals with big eyes, soft, fluffy fur, lazily crawling from branch to branch and chewing leaves. There is a lot of both true and unfair in this image that has formed in the mind. Indeed, most animals have huge eyes, but not all species have large eyes. Not all have soft fur. And these animals are not always lazy and slow; some run quite quickly on the ground, are able to move along rocky mountain ledges, jump from branch to branch, covering considerable distances.
The diversity of species also entails differences in the appearance of the animal. We will talk about individual representatives of lemurs in the continuation of the article, but for now we will highlight the main characteristics of these unique animals.
The size of the animal depends on its species: the largest are indri - they grow up to a meter and can weigh about 10 kg, and the smallest are dwarf mouse lemurs, which do not grow more than 23 cm, of which 10 cm is the length of the tail, with a weight of about 50 gr. studies have shown that animals of this species that once existed and have become extinct by our time could weigh about 200 kg and have gigantic sizes (from a two-year-old calf).
The muzzle of most lemurs is elongated, reminiscent of a fox. The eyes are most often disproportionately large located in front, which makes it seem. that the animal is somewhat surprised. Eye color also depends on the species: most often orange-red, brown-yellow. The black lemur has blue eyes that are unique in the animal world.
The limbs of the animals have five fingers, well developed, since grasping functions are very important for climbing trees. All animals thumb The forelimbs are opposed to the rest, which makes it possible to cling tightly to branches. On the second finger of the lower limbs there is a huge claw (most have nails growing on the other fingers), with which they “comb” the thick fur. But the length of the limbs relative to the fore-hind proportion may differ depending on the species: in some, the forelimbs are much longer than the hind limbs. This is due to the arboreal lifestyle and the need to cling to branches and hang. The same species that live on land have either relatively the same size limbs or more developed hind limbs.
Many lemurs have luxurious tails, which, in turn, perform many functions: it helps balance while jumping or running, clings to branches and holds the animal, and is a signaling tool for other individuals, especially those living in flocks. The big-tailed lemur is very attentive to him: he always takes care of hygiene. Sometimes the length of the tail exceeds the size of the animal’s body. And only indri lemurs have relatively short tails, growing only up to 5 cm.
Watching these funny animals, you can note that they look at unfamiliar objects very carefully, but are in no hurry to touch them. In the natural environment, young, inexperienced individuals spend a long time studying new animals or plants. A domestic lemur will never touch a thing without examining it in detail and assessing its safety.
Lifestyle of lemurs in their natural environment
If it was previously believed that lemurs were exclusively nocturnal animals, then latest research the lives of these animals prove that the diversity of species also differs in behavioral characteristics, daily activity, single or family (gregarious) way of life.
The Madagascar bat is also nocturnal: during the daytime, this rather large animal hides in the foliage of trees, but at night it wakes up to eat and communicate with its relatives, which is when everyone hears terrifying screams. With the onset of darkness, many dwarf lemurs, hiding during the day in shelters in the trees, wake up. Slender-bodied lemurs are nocturnal and prefer to live in thickets.
But the ring-tailed lemur is more active during the day than at night. This is due to the fact that they live on earth. Red warries, which live exclusively in trees, also demonstrate a diurnal lifestyle. The short-tailed indris are rightfully considered the most “daytime”: these animals gladly expose their bodies to the sun, stretching out on the branches of trees, and fall asleep when darkness falls. Crested sifakas (vero), which live in trees in the humid areas of the island, are also active during the day.
The activity of macaco (black) lemurs depends on the season and on the phase of the moon: during the new moon and during dry times they lead a fairly passive lifestyle, and during the rainy season these animals become active from sunrise to dusk.
Lemurs are characterized by a state of seasonal hibernation: for some time they hide in shelters and spend time in a state of rest.
The social relationships of these animals are also varied. As a rule, lemurs live in packs led by females. Growing young animals rarely leave their family, but continue to live inside, occupying their position determined by status. These “family” ones include ring-tailed lemurs (cat-tailed lemurs), which live in packs with clearly structured intra-family hierarchical relationships and distribution of responsibilities. Red-headed moths also live in flocks of up to 20 individuals.
Small-toothed lemurs are solitary animals that a short time pair up to have offspring. Many species of small lemurs are solitary, preferring to live in small hollows in trees or burrows.
Indris usually live as a family: a female, a male and their offspring of different ages. If mature animals create their own family, they separate from their parents and go to their own territory. Indris communicate their rights to the territory not only with traditional marks, but also with loud morning singing. Golden bamboo lemurs also create the same ideal families. The composition is simple: parents and offspring, who, growing up, leave the family and create their own.
Recent studies have shown that Madagascar bats, who prefer to be solitary (they build nests in the forks of trees exclusively for themselves), prefer to hunt or play in pairs.
All lemurs are territorial animals that mark their habitat with urine or special enzymes and protect their area from uninvited guests. Arboreal animals mark their homes by scratching tree bark or biting branches.
What do lemurs eat and what do they eat in the wild?
In their natural environment, lemurs feed mainly on plant foods, although it cannot be said that all animals of this species eat the same.
Since most of these animals live in trees, their diet consists of what they could find around them. As a rule, these are ripe fruits (figs, bananas), leaves, young shoots, plant seeds, flowers. Large individuals can also feast on tree bark.
Plant food is not always enough to replenish strength, so lemurs compensate for this by long rests or slow movements.
Small individuals, for example, dwarf lemurs, happily feed on the nectar of flowers, their pollen, and plant resins. This animal also eats larvae and even small insects.
Some species have special preferences for plant foods. Madagascar bats are very fond of the milk of coconuts and mangoes, the ring-tailed lemur is very fond of the fruits of the Indian date (tamarind), and the golden and bamboo lemurs are partial to bamboo shoots.
But not all lemurs are herbivores. You should know that the lemur sometimes eats insects: various beetles, butterflies (especially those that fly at night), spiders, mantises, cockroaches. The gray mouse lemur will not refuse small vertebrates: chameleons and frogs. Observations of animals have shown that they even eat small birds and their eggs.
Indri lemurs sometimes eat the ground. This dietary feature is caused by the need to neutralize some toxic substances contained in plants.
Animals usually grab food with their teeth or take it with their front paws and bring it to their mouth. Watching animals while eating is very interesting, since many of them resemble people.
A lemur at home or in a zoo can switch to food that is not typical for it and quickly get used to the change in its natural diet, but it is still necessary to take into account the preferences of the animal in nature.
Puberty occurs differently in each species. The smaller the animal in size and weight, the sooner it becomes capable of producing offspring. Thus, large indris become sexually mature only at the age of five, and the dwarf mouse lemur can reproduce within a year. Despite the fact that some species can live more than 30 years, their reproductive age is short.
Usually the mating period of animals coincides with a certain season. This is connected with nutrition - food preferences affect the time of courtship.
During the mating season, animals call each other with loud cries, rub against their chosen ones, and try to mark them with their scent.
The relationship between a female and a male develops differently. In most species, pairs do not form. One male may well be the father of the cubs of many females and takes virtually no part in raising the younger generation. But in the Indriidae family, monogamous couples form: the animal finds a new partner only if its own dies.
Despite the fact that pregnancy in lemurs, depending on the species, lasts from two to seven and a half months, they produce offspring only once a year. And some species, for example, the Madagascar bat, even less often, once every 2-3 years.
Most often, one cub is born, less often two. This is due to the fact that they are born absolutely helpless. Some weigh no more than 5 grams. Even babies of large individuals are born weighing only 80-120 grams. The little lemur opens its eyes on the second to fifth day; until this time it practically does not hear. Only rare species They give birth to sighted children. But babies have well-developed grasping reflexes: as soon as they are born, they already cling to their mother’s fur on the belly, where they find milk and warmth. And only after a few weeks they are able to move onto the female’s back, where they will stay for about six months. Not every mother is able to bear two babies, which is why they give birth rarely and in small numbers.
After two to three months, the cubs sometimes begin to leave the female’s back in order to independently develop the territory. Caring parents return runaways, since careless kids can fall from trees and die.
But the appearance and first months of life of cubs in some species have their own characteristics. Thus, the gray mouse lemur breeds offspring in specially prepared hollows, where the babies spend up to two weeks and only then go out into the world.
The appearance of offspring in lemur lemurs occurs in a special way. First, they build a nest for future children. Secondly, these are the only lemurs that can give birth to 5-6 babies at once. And finally, for several weeks the lemurs remain in the nest under the supervision of the male, rather than clinging to the female.
Lory lemurs are very picky in choosing a partner. Recently, these animals are often kept as pets. If in the natural environment there is an opportunity to create a pair with that. whoever sympathizes with the animal, then the loris lemur at home, even if there is an individual of the opposite sex nearby, may not have offspring, since he simply will not like the partner.
The decline of many lemur populations is directly related to the characteristics of reproduction. In captivity, animals may not reproduce at all.
Types of lemurs
Since lemurs had practically no enemies in Madagascar, and the primates that displaced them from other habitats were not found here, the animals had the opportunity to evolve. The study of these animals began relatively recently: research has shown that there are more than 100 species of these unique animals, which are divided into 4 families:
Each of the existing families has its own subspecies.
Archaeological finds have shown that animals appeared in Madagascar 50 million years ago, and at the moment there are 3 families that are already extinct:
- megadalapids;
- paleopropithecus;
- archaeolemurs.
These animals are unique business card Madagascar, although they live only in the southern part of the island. Official name – ring-tailed lemur, or catta, belongs to the lemur family.
They live in families with strong hierarchical relationships: the head of the pack is the alpha female, who carefully monitors order and leads her relatives to feed. Males of this species do not stay in the pack for long; they usually come only during the mating period, and then leave in search of other packs. This behavior ensures healthy offspring without inbreeding.
The ring-tailed lemur has a very original coloring: the eyes seem to be thickly outlined with dark areas of fur, which makes the animal look serious and attentive. The brown-gray back and light belly resemble human clothing, so it is believed to be a human-like creature, especially when the catta stands on its hind legs.
A distinctive feature of representatives of this species is their bright long tail, colored with successive black and white stripes, of which there are most often 25, always ending in black. The length of the tail can exceed the size of the catta's body, up to 65 cm with a body up to 45; Moreover, the weight of this decoration can reach up to 1.5 kg with the total weight of the animal up to 3.5. When moving on the ground, all members of the flock raise their tail high so that the alpha female can see where everyone is.
The ring-tailed lemur moves equally easily on the ground and jumps through trees, which makes it difficult prey for the fossa.
Another feature of these animals is their very long reproductive age - they can bear offspring almost until the end of their lives, which helps maintain the population.
Gray mouse lemur
The dwarf lemur family includes 5 genera with 30 species, among which the gray mouse lemur is the most famous, since it is now quite often purchased as pet.
This cute lemur with very large kind eyes is rightfully considered the smallest, its weight does not exceed 65 grams. It lives only in the north and west of the island.
According to its way of life in its natural environment, the gray mouse lemur is a nocturnal animal. During the day he sleeps in a hollow tree, sometimes in the company of same-sex relatives, sometimes alone, and at night he goes out to hunt. The animal rarely descends to the ground, but travels well through the trees. Despite its very small size, it can jump over distances of up to three meters.
The food for this baby is flower nectar, flowers themselves, plant resin, insect larvae and even small insects. For its size, the animal is quite voracious.
By the age of one year, the dwarf mouse lemur becomes sexually mature. 2 months after mating, the female gives birth to two, and sometimes three, cubs, which spend up to two weeks in the hollow and only then begin to gradually come out. Babies are born very small, weighing no more than 5 grams, but covered in wool. In their natural environment, these animals reproduce until they are approximately 6 years old, although the domestic lemur can live for 20 years.
In nature, these animals have a lot of enemies (snakes, birds, fossas), so the mortality rate is quite high.
At home, the gray mouse lemur easily takes root, but future owners must take into account the animal’s nocturnal lifestyle. During the day he will sleep in his shelter, and at night he will be active.
The Madagascar bat is the only representative of the bat family, therefore for a long time There were disputes regarding its classification as a lemur or a rodent. But nevertheless, the researchers decided that in terms of its structure this animal is a lemur.
The animal weighs about 3 kg, the size of the fluffy tail is up to 60 cm, much larger than the body - up to 43 cm. The animal has a large head with huge, almost bald ears, an elongated nose and attentive eyes. The body is covered with black or with a slight brown tint of coarse hair.
A distinctive feature of the Madagascar monkey is its very long toes, with the help of which it perfectly clings to trees and obtains food for itself. The middle finger with a deadly claw is especially useful, with which the animal, like a woodpecker, taps a tree, finds and takes out the larvae. Using the same tool, the little arm breaks through coconuts and extracts favorite treat- coconut milk. But when walking on the ground, her fingers get in the way, so she leans on her fists and goes down to the ground extremely rarely. The teeth of the arm, accustomed to gnawing bark, grow throughout its life.
The animal is exclusively nocturnal. During the day he sleeps in shelters. It is worth noting that the little hand builds several houses and hides in them one by one, probably so that predators cannot notice its shelter.
The lemur, called “ay-ay” by local residents, received its middle name because of its rare screams, which for some reason they were afraid to hear.
The Madagascar bat reproduces very slowly: females give birth once every 2-3 years, most often one baby is born, so the existence of this animal was under threat several decades ago.
IN last years little arms are taken into the house as pets. Breeders should take into account the behavioral characteristics of these animals and be prepared for the fact that they will be awakened at night by their frightening screams.
There is still debate about whether Loriids belong to lemurs. On the one hand, the animal, which is very similar in appearance to the Madagascar lemur, has a similar lifestyle and reproductive characteristics as other representatives. On the other hand, the habitat is not Madagascar at all, but the forests of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, the Malaysian Peninsula, the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Central Africa and South Asia. The loris has virtually no tail, which distinguishes it from other lemurs.
And yet, most people consider lorises to be lemurs. In recent years, they are often kept as pets, touched by their charm. The loris lemur adapts quite quickly at home, but breeders must take into account the peculiarity of the animal’s existence in its natural environment.
Loris belong to the order of primates, the suborder of the wet-nosed animals. There are five families of these animals, among which the most famous are the fat and slender loris. Their body length does not exceed 40 cm, and their weight is 2 kg. They have a light brown coat with a dark stripe along the back and an almost black edging around the expressive eyes.
These are slow-moving animals that are exclusively nocturnal. They have huge eyes that can see perfectly in the dark. During the day, the animals hide high in the crowns in built shelters. They are very well adapted to life in trees: they deftly move from branch to branch, clinging tightly with their paws. But lorises, like many of their cousins, cannot jump at all.
Most often they live alone, but communication with relatives is important for them, so the lemur loris at home, being the only one, can become very sad. They take a long time to choose a mate. They become sexually mature only after a year and a half, then they find a partner. Pregnancy lasts quite a long time for an animal of this size - about 7 months, after which one, rarely two babies are born. They are born sighted, their coat color is lighter, almost silver, than that of adults, but by 2 months they already acquire a permanent color. Up to a year, and sometimes longer, babies stay near their mother. If they want to communicate something, they emit a quiet chirping sound, reminiscent of a bird. The male never takes part in raising the offspring.
In nature, these animals live up to 17 years, and at home they can live longer.
Endangered Lemur Species
Scientists have calculated that about a hundred species of lemurs live on the island of Madagascar, differing from each other in size, color, lifestyle, and diet. But not everyone feels comfortable. Some species due to poaching and uncontrolled logging forests are on the verge of extinction. Let's imagine animals whose lives are in danger.
- White-fronted indri (diadem sifaka). The habitat is the very small forests of the eastern part of the island, which has a detrimental effect on the population.
- Mongoose lemur. One of the few species that lives off the island, but the reduction of possible habitats threatens its existence.
- Brown mouse lemur. Nocturnal, it is the smallest representative of the species, resembling a mouse, which is why it got its name.
- Aye-aye (Madagascar little hand). The largest representative. Active at night and before sunrise. In recent decades, it has suffered greatly from poachers.
- Brown lemur. Lives exclusively in Madagascar. Very friendly to other animals.
- Gapalemurs. A special feature of this species is its ability to swim. Unlike their other brethren, who prefer to spend most of their time in tree branches or on the ground, animals of this subspecies feel comfortable in the water.
- Golden-headed sifaka. They live in flocks with clearly structured hierarchical relationships; they often become victims of fossa, so their population is greatly reduced.
- Fork-fronted lemur. It got its name because of the two dark stripes on the frontal part of the head. Prefers arthropods and small reptiles as food. Possesses unique ability jump great distances.
- Silky Sifaka. It especially suffers from poachers who hunt it for its unique fur. Its cute appearance makes it an expensive commodity in the black animal trade market.
- Blue-eyed black lemur. So named because of the eye color unique to animals. Only males are black, females are exclusively red-brown. Animals suffer due to contraction forest areas. They are aggressive towards other representatives and can even kill opponents.
In recent decades, these species have been protected international organizations. Criminal penalties have been introduced for actions leading to the death of lemurs.
Extinct lemur families
Despite the numerous species, lemurs already have their losses: three families are considered extinct today. Just recently, scientists made an incredible discovery: a flooded cave was found in national park, in which a whole cemetery of giant animals was discovered. How they ended up in this place remains to be seen, but the fact of the existence of lemurs in Madagascar from the Pleistocene to the present day is irrefutable.
- Megaladapis family. We can talk about the appearance of these animals solely from archaeological finds, since they became extinct quite a long time ago, about 10-12 thousand years ago. Although there are references to the existence of megaladapis as early as 1504, that is, the time of the appearance of Europeans in Madagascar, there is no factual evidence of this.
In its structure, the creature, similar to modern koalas, was quite squat, with powerful hind legs and very long front legs. The joint of the foot and well-developed toes indicate that megaladapis were not adapted to terrestrial life, but existed well in trees. For these features they received their second name - koala lemurs.
The location of the eyes was also unusual: on the sides, and not in front, like most modern relatives. The powerful jaws and structure of the teeth indicate that these lemurs ate exclusively plant foods. These were very large animals, weighing up to 75 kg.
- Family Paleopropithecus. The study of the life of these animals proves that representatives of the family were represented on the island by four genera (Mesopropithecus, Paleopropithecus, Archaeoindri, Babakotia). It is believed that animals ceased to exist in the last millennia before new era. But there are legends that representatives of this family were seen much later, even in the 16th century of our time.
All skeletal finds were found in swampy areas of the island, most often in caves, which suggests that Paleopropithecus led a terrestrial lifestyle, preferring wet areas.
Reconstruction of the animal's skeleton shows that the weight of Archaeoindri could reach up to 200 kg. Such a gigantic creature was definitely terrestrial. But representatives of the other three other genera were much smaller, 10-25 kg, and could live perfectly well on trees.
- Family Archaeolemuridae. Archaeological research shows that members of this family lived in Madagascar until approximately the 12th century. The presumable cause of death is the development of the island and hunting for them.
Reconstruction of the skeleton showed that these were quite large animals: their mass reached 25 kg. They had short limbs relative to the body; grasping capabilities were less developed compared to other related animals, which suggests that archaeolemurs primarily lived on the ground. The structure of the jaw shows that they had to carefully grind their food, which most likely included seeds, flowers, leaves, fruits, arthropods and possibly small animals.
The found bones confirm the version that the habitat of archaeolemurs was almost the entire island.
If you have a lemur at home
Recently, lemurs are often taken into the home as pets. People are attracted to a small cute animal with expressive eyes and soft wool. Usually this is a mouse lemur or a loris lemur. At home, these animals take root safely, but it must be taken into account that the living conditions should be as close to natural as possible.
Most lemurs are nocturnal - this is their nature; it is after sunset that they leave their shelter to eat, play and clean up; Therefore, be prepared for the fact that the loris lemur at home will hide in its house all day, and you most likely will not be able to play with your cute pet, but at night the baby will make noise.
- a shelter house attached at the top, in which the animal can hide during the day;
- all kinds of branches, climbing devices: otherwise the animal will not be able to move sufficiently (the loris lemur at home prefers to hang on branches; dwarf lemurs prefer to jump);
- drinking bowl with clean water;
- special filler for rodents.
If you have larger animals, then the enclosure should be of appropriate size.
Try to make your pet's home as close in appearance to the natural environment as possible. You should not put soft toys, running wheels, or bright accessories in the enclosure - they will scare the animal.
Many owners of furry pets worry about how to organize proper nutrition. First of all, you should find out what this animal eats in its natural environment. The diversity of species also implies differences in nutrition, as well as the ratio of plant and animal foods. In nature, animals eat fruits and flowers, love nectar, pollen and plant resins; they will happily swallow larvae, small insects, and feast on bird eggs. Pets need to have enough food to stay healthy and active. Most lemurs should eat the following foods:
- a variety of fruits, especially those that they ate in the wild;
- vegetables (raw and lightly cooked);
- cereal porridge;
- dairy products;
- freshly squeezed juices, possibly with the addition of honey;
- boiled chicken eggs or raw eggs birds (can be quail);
- insects and larvae (you can store them in the refrigerator and defrost them before use, but it is better to offer them alive).
Most lemurs go out looking for food after dark, so it is better to feed them in the evening so as not to disturb their natural way of life.
The lemur's thick fur also requires care. In nature, animals comb it with their large finger claw. It should be noted that these clean animals devote quite a lot of time to their appearance. At home, the loris lemur will also carefully sort through its fur every evening or at night, smoothing it with its paws, but pets especially love it when they are combed, with pleasure exposing their belly and back, while demonstrating obvious bliss. Owners can get a small brush with small soft bristles for their pets and periodically pamper their furry baby with pleasant treatments. But you shouldn’t comb pygmy lemurs: they are so small that any comb, even the smallest one, can damage their skin.
In the natural environment, only one species of lemur likes to swim and even knows how to swim. The rest of the animals never come near the water. Therefore, you should not bathe the lemur: baths, especially with shampoos, can disrupt the natural microflora and lead to diseases.
The animals are very curious, and if you consider that their activity time is at night, then they will begin to explore your apartment exactly when you are sleeping. Tenacious fingers will help them open the lock on the enclosure, so make sure that the cage is closed not with a primitive latch or hook, but more reliably, otherwise the animals may hang on the wires, or even taste them, and this can lead to the death of the animal.
Despite the fact that many lemurs are very selective and prefer single image life, it’s better to keep them in pairs. Thus, the slender loris lemur at home suffers greatly from loneliness and may even die. It is not at all necessary that a couple will produce offspring (they rarely breed in captivity), but communication with relatives is of great importance for the animals.
When bringing a lemur into your home, remember that the animal should feel comfortable and not be your living toy.
Legends about lemurs
In Madagascar, the lemur is considered a sacred animal, because there is a legend that they were once people who went into the forest and, adapting to a different way of life, grew hair, learned to live in trees and eat fruits. The inhabitants of the island revere these animals: when they meet them, they greet them respectfully. If a lemur falls into a hunting trap, it is released, but the wounded animal will be taken home, treated, and then released into the forest.
There is a legend about the appearance of these animals in Madagascar, which says that lemurs used to live in Africa, but they did not feel safe there, so they built a raft and swam to the island. It is difficult to imagine that animals themselves can build at least some kind of vessel and cross the water to another place, but this is exactly how the legend explains their appearance.
In Madagascar, they are very wary of the Madagascan bat; they try not to mention its name again. There is a superstition that a person who kills this animal will certainly die within a year. It is believed that if an animal screams near the house, then something bad will definitely happen. They are afraid local residents fall asleep in the forest, because when they wake up, they should find a grass pillow placed under a hand. If there is a pillow under your head, expect wealth, under your feet - a terrible curse.
Lemurs do not have hair on their palms, and most of them have paws that closely resemble human hands. The skin on the palms of animals is very sensitive, so they examine unfamiliar objects not only with their eyes, but also with their hands.
Some females carry their babies not on their backs, as usual, but in their mouths, so in order to eat, they first lay out the babies and then eat. If this is not possible, the female may remain hungry.
During dry periods ring-tailed lemurs get moisture from cacti by carefully peeling off the spines.
All lemurs have a rather shrill voice, sometimes frightening because it resembles a human, or rather a child’s, cry. But the indri are rightfully considered the most vocal. This is due to the fact that animals practically do not have a tail, which for many is a signal for determining location, so a cry becomes a signal. A lemur with a very shrill voice is able to inform its relatives about danger or its location at almost a distance of one kilometer.
The tail of lemurs serves as a kind of storage room for them. It is there that they store reserves of fat and nutrients in case of hunger or hibernation.
Lemurs are cute, harmless animals. In recent decades, a lot of research has been carried out that will shed light on the features of their life, so mysterious to us. Unfortunately, human activities are increasingly harming their natural environment, so taking care of the conservation of these unique animals is our direct responsibility.
Vision is the most important sense for many animals, including humans. Different shape, the size and structure of the eyes also imply various functions that help certain species of animals survive in different living conditions.
The tarsier is a small nocturnal primate - the only predatory primate in the world that lives in tropical forests South-East Asia and feeding on lizards, insects and even birds.
Its most interesting feature is its huge eyes, disproportionately large in relation to the entire body. If these proportions were applied to a person, then his eyes would be the size of grapefruits.
The tarsier, like a predator, has very acute vision. At one time it was even believed that they could see ultraviolet light. On the other hand, tarsiers have poor color vision.
The chameleon is known for its ability to change color, which helps it communicate and express its intentions or mood. Another unusual feature of these lizards is their eyes.
The chameleon's eyelids are completely connected, there is only a small slit for the pupil. Each eye moves independently of the other, allowing the chameleon to monitor prey and possible threats at the same time.
The dragonfly's eyes are so large that they cover almost the entire head, allowing it to see the world in a 360-degree radius. These eyes are made up of 30 thousand parts, each of which contains a lens and several light-sensitive cells.
Dragonflies have excellent vision. They can detect colors and polarized light. In addition, dragonflies are especially sensitive to movement.
The leaf-tailed gecko has very unusual eyes, equipped with vertical pupils in which there are several “holes”. These openings widen at night, allowing these lizards to see better.
A gecko's eyes contain many more light-sensitive cells than human eyes, allowing the animal to detect objects and even distinguish colors at night.
By the way, cats and sharks see 6 and 10 times better than humans. As for leaf-tailed geckos, their vision is 350 times better than human vision.
The colossal squid is the largest invertebrate known to science and also has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom - each eye can be up to 30cm wide.
Such large eyes allow the squid to see in the twilight, which is very useful for an animal that spends almost all of its time hunting, staying 2000 m underwater.
The four-eyed fish lives in Mexico and Central America. It is very small, up to 32 cm in length, feeds on insects, and therefore spends most of its time near the surface of the water.
Despite unusual name, these fish only have 2 eyes. However, each of them is divided by a vein, with each half having its own pupil. This strange adaptation allows the four-eyed fish to see well both above and under water.
Stalk-eyed flies live in the jungles of southeast Asia and Africa. They got their name from the long protrusions on both sides of the head with eyes and antennae at the end.
Males have longer stems. According to observations, females prefer males with longer stems.
Opisthoproctus is a deep-sea fish with one of the world's strangest eye structures, which are cylindrical in shape and point upward.
The ogre spider has 6 eyes, but their middle pair is so greatly enlarged that sometimes it seems as if there is only a pair of eyes. Different sizes The eyes serve the spider to improve night vision.
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