Lemurs are amazing creatures. Looking at them, you are amazed at how they can instantly go from a state of relaxed bliss to a state where they are ready to run and escape from any danger. Living in large groups, lemurs are truly unique, they do not look like any other animals. Cautious and shy by nature, they, however, can gradually get used to a person and start trusting him. True, it takes a lot of time for this.
Lemurs live only in the Comoros and Madagascar – more on Earth they are nowhere to be found.
In nature, there are more than 60 species of lemurs. This kind of primates is least like people.
5. The smallest of the existing lemurs is mouse, it weighs no more than 30 grams, and the length of its body without a tail does not exceed 10 centimeters.
Some varieties of lemurs use the earth as an antidote to the poisonous substances contained in the leaves of some trees.
To communicate with relatives, lemurs have 12 sounds.
The largest species of lemurs is indri. These animals weigh about 10 kilograms with a body length of up to 90 centimeters.
Lemurs, if necessary, can fall into a long hibernation, while the temperature of their body is compared with the temperature of the environment. More than almost none of the mammals can do this.
Demonstrating their sympathy, the lemurs touch the hair of the object of their adoration with the help of teeth.
Lemurs live in large friendly families, fights and conflicts in which – a vanishing rarity.
In a natural habitat lemurs live from 20 to 27 years.
Lemurs in the distant past moved from continental Africa to Madagascar on wooden rafts, seeking rescue from predators.
The ancient Romans called lemurs the souls of the dead, who can not find peace and continue to wander the Earth. In Latin, the word Lemures means “night ghost”.
In families of lemurs, the role of leaders is played by females, and not males.
Mothers carry their offspring in their mouths until the babies learn to hold on to their fur alone. Adults become lemurs in 2 years.
Hungry lemurs are able to eat even rotten wood.
The favorite food of lemurs is dates, these fruits can make up to half the annual ration of animals.
Lemurs are able to use the tail to direct smells in the direction they need – this is one way of communicating with each other.
Tails of lemurs are longer than their bodies, in some species the length of the tail exceeds half a meter.
Blue-eyed lemurs are the only primates except the person whose eyes really have a blue color.
Lemurs know how to slow down their metabolism when they lack food.
Local residents of the island of Madagascar, Malagasy, consider the Madagascar rookonozhek (or ay-ay) helpers of evil spirits, so these animals are open to constant hunting.
Morning singing lemurs indri, which they denote their rights to the occupied territory, can be heard at a distance of up to 2 kilometers.
Indri, unlike other types of lemurs, can not live in captivity, so their breeding in an artificially created environment is impossible.
About half of the cubs of lemurs die in the first year of their life – they are born usually, unfortunately, rather weak.
