Lemurs

= = LEMURS ===There are over 63 species of lemurs(2).Lemurs are primates, which means they are related to apes and humans(4). Some of the best known species of lemurs are the brown lemur, the ring-tailed lemur, sifakas, indris, and also the ruffed lemur. These species of lemurs are diurnal, which means that they are active during the day,(opposite of nocturnal). Nocturnal lemurs include; the mouse lemur, dwarf lemurs, and the aye-ayes. Lemurs vary in size. Some are large, and then some are as small as hamsters. Some weigh alot, and some weigh very little. For instance, the pygmy mouse lemur weighs about one ounce as to the indris and the sifakes lemurs, which can weigh up to fifteen ponds. Thats about the size and weight of any regular house cat(4).The specie of lemur that we are focusing on is the ring-tailed lemur.===

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
===Ring-tailed lemurs have very long tails. Their tails are actually longer than their bodies. They usually weigh up to twelve pounds, depending on their size. They have large, brown, or an orangish, colored eyes. The tails, when the lemurs are walking,stay in the air because they're not really useful for anything else,except for keeping them in balance and swinging from tree to tree, but thats while they are in the trees, not on the ground(but they always just walk on their hands and feet anyways)(1). Having a really good sense of smell comes in handy for the lemurs. Ring-tailed lemurs have very powerful scent glands, and they also have unique odor that they use as a communication tool, and sometimes as a weapon against predators and other rival troops. They have scent glands on their bottoms, and on their feet. These glands leave a scent as they walk(4). Their noses are very moist and sensitive(2). The tails are rings of black and white, while the back is covered with gray, and the underside is white. They have fox-like faces, with ears that are somewhat short with tufts of hair on them.===



HABITAT
===Ring-tailed lemurs are located in Madagascar, and some tiny neighboring islands. They are also located in southeast Africa, and the Comoro islands. Lemurs are becoming more and more endangered all the time becasue people are cutting down and burning the tropical rainforests that they live in so they can clear land for housing, farming, and to get wood for fuel use. Ring-tailed lemurs are unusual compared to many other species of lemurs. They and other kinds of lemurs move swiftly across the forest floor instead of up in the trees. But, some lemurs are arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees(4). They can also be found in spiny deserts, and scrub(3). The average lifespan for a lemur that lives in the wild is about 18 years(2).===



HISTORY
===It is to be believed that millions of years ago, the ancestors of today's lemurs did a very unusual thing. Those lemurs that lived in Africa hopped on logs and seaweed "rafts", and drifted across the Indian Ocean to Madagascar. During an evolution that might have lasted millions of years, many different species developed. About 2,000 years ago, a different species of primate settled on Madagascar, they were called homo sapiens, or human beings. The humans hunted lemurs and ate them for food and took over some of their land. By at least the 1600's, humans had driven as many as 16 species of lemurs to extinction(2). About 66 million years ago, the aye-ayes lemur tapped on a tree listening for insects. Not until later did we, humans, come to earth(5).===

CHARACTERISTICS
===Lemurs are a special type of primate called a prosminian. Prosminain means "before the monkeys." A Prosminian primate has eyes close to the front of their faces. This allows them to see more and control more(4).When the time comes to mate, the males fight one another for dominance by trying to outstink each other(eww). They cover their tails with some type of secretion and wave them in the air to see who is the more powerful male(1). Time to mate, and then a baby lemur comes along. After it is born, the mother carries the baby in her mouth until it can hang onto her fur on it's own(2). The male lemurs have ranks among them. The higher-ranked males walk with their head and their tails held high, while the lower ranking male lemurs walk with their head and tails down(2). Lemurs are also very helpful to the enviorement. They help new plants grow by leaving seeds behind that pass through their digestive system after they eat,(kind of gross but at least it helps the plants)(2). Grooming is another part of the lemur lifestyle. With their teeth that are comblike, they groom themselves and other lemurs(2). Lemurs love to sunbathe. They spread out their arms and legs and just sit in the sun for hours. ===

WORKS CITED FOR PICTURES:
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 * 1<.http://www.naturalphotos.com/sekercioglu/madagascar/pages/MG8-TnZoo-RTLE.htm> Mar 5, 2009
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Mar 5, 2009