Share. They have special scent glands on their wrists and bottoms that leave scent trails on branches to mark their territories. You can help ring-tailed lemurs by contributing to the Lemur Conservation Foundation through volunteer work or donations. Should you see one keep away because if one crosses you, you'll be cursed for life. By Alina Bradford - Live Science Contributor 02 July 2016. This species of lemur is is diurnal, being active exclusively in daylight hours. Funny Pets 309,159 views. Amazing Facts About the Ring-tailed Lemur. Ring-tailed lemurs use their tail for communication. Fun Lemur Facts. During cooler winter months they are able to slow down their metabolism so they can conserve water and energy. … They eat fruit and leaves, chiefly feeding on wild figs, bananas and fig thistles. Population fragmentation is a major threat to these lemurs, mostly due to human-induced habitat loss and degradation. Found across the globe, there are over 200 species of sea urchin and new ones are being found even today. They're not as closely related to people as chimpanzees and other apes are, but they're still family. Lemurs are good adapters as they can slow their own metabolism and reproduce less when needed. The smallest species weighs about 30 grams (1 ounce) while the largest species weighs about 10 kilograms (22 pounds). The aye-aye is a startling and strange looking animal, with rough-textured, shaggy grey fur, huge eyes and ears, and curious specialized fingers. Early evolution shows that they were once as large as an adult gorilla though. Lemurs are endangered species because people destroy their habitat and used to hunt them, and perhaps still do so. Black cats are well-known for being bad luck. Madame Berthe’s Lemurs are nocturnal and have very large eyes which helps them to see during the night. Habitat destruction is the primary threat to lemurs. 2. Everywhere else in the world, the lemurs evolved into monkeys, except in this lemur paradise. Lemurs have become popular in Western culture in recent years. Then they begin to feed the babies solid food such as fruit. Fun Facts for Kids. It is the only holder of blue eyes. It is the 4th largest island in the world and the only habitat for all wild lemurs in the world. They’re able to learn patterns and can even complete tasks that are too complex for apes and monkeys. Lemurs bask in sunlight during the morning and it is often a group activity. The sounds heard from lemurs vary with each species and can include grunts, loud alarm calls and sounds that sound like the mewing of a cat, chirps, and wailing calls that are reminiscent of whale songs. The blue-eyed black lemur is the only primate, other than humans, that have blue eyes, according to the San Diego Zoo.Additional resources 1. Some are fantasti… Learn fifteen fascinating facts about these unique mammals. Lemurs used to live in Africa, but monkeys there were too much of a competition for the lemurs. This tiny, wide-eyed creature is the tinyest living primate at only 5 inches from head to tail. They mark their territory by scent. These lovable little ones are often a fan favourite at the zoo, so let’s learn 25 facts about Lemurs. They’re charismatic, funny, and they’ve got long tails! In captivity, ring-tailed lemurs can live for nearly 30 years, compared to up to 20 in the wild. The pygmy mouse lemur is the smallest species. Of all the primates, lemurs are the most different from human beings. The smallest species of lemur is known as the Dwarf Mouse Lemur (or Pygmy mouse Lemur) and weighs only 30 grams. Native to Madagascar; Average lifespan of 18 years; Can communicate with scent, vision and signals; Lemurs is a Latin term that means ghosts; Lemurs prefer to live in groups; Lemurs are mostly nocturnal Facts about Lemurs 2: the large lemurs. Fact 2: Lemur DreamWorks Animation and Netflix brought Madagascar's favorite royal lemur, King Julien, to the small screen in … Local Malagasy people named them for the unique call they send echoing through Madagascar's forests, which sounds like shif-auk. Toilet-Claw – Lemurs possess an odd, compressed fingernail called a “toilet-claw.” Yes, we said toilet-claw! Larger species have all become extinct since human groups moved to Madagascar. 4. They have some very unique anatomy and adaptations. They are good adapters as they can slow their own metabolism and reproduce less when needed. Fun Facts for Kids. In dry weather, lemurs adapted to extract water from cacti, having previously rid them of thorns. The smallest subspecies weighing 30 grams and the largest weighing approximately 15 lbs. Ring-tailed lemurs and humans share a common ancestor that lived some 50 millions years ago. Madagascar is one of my favorite countries in the world.Here are some interesting facts about Madagascar that you might not know! This was a world when lemur-like animals, the planet’s first primates, roamed Africa along with the dinosaurs. The ring-tailed lemur is an opportunistic omnivore primarily eating fruits and leaves, particularly those of the tamarind tree, known natively as kily. Lemurs weigh from 30g to the 10kg. Why does the black cat get such a bad rap? Interesting facts about the American black bear. … They hunt at night, using their incredible night vision and powerful sense of smell, plucking insects from tree limbs, and rustling through undergrowth for beetles and grubs. Red ruffed lemurs love fruit. There are almost 100 different species, and they are only found on the island of Madagascar! 2 thoughts on “ 5 Interesting Facts About Ring-Tailed Lemurs ” joseph says: October 31, 2014 at 2:06 am i love lemurs. Lemurs are highly intelligent creatures. These bamboo growing shoots contain 0.015% (1 part of 6667) of cyanide. Lemurs use scents to communicate with other lemurs. That's no coincidence -- lemurs are primates just like us. Another fun fact: Whereas two species of mouse lemur were recognized just a few decades ago (the reddish-brown ones and the grey ones), the genetics revolution reveled major variation in the lemurs’ genomes — enough to split them in 24 species! Since then, lemurs have evolved in isolation on the island of Madagascar and have retained many primitive characteristics. 5 Fun Facts About Lemurs — And One Not-So-Fun Fact June 27, 2014 Tweet. Ring-tailed lemurs are an endangered species. Lemurs are easy to love because they're cute, charismatic and oddly humanlike. Interesting facts about Madagascar: a Chameleon, Madagascar. The diet of a lemur consists mostly of fruit and leaves, and when possible, fruit from the Tamarind tree can make up about 50% of their yearly diet. The lemur, if threatened, attacks with its short nails. Fun Facts About Lemurs. Ring-tailed lemurs often spend hours soaking up the warmth of the sun. The common traits like the divergent digits on the feet and hands are spotted in lemurs. Introduction to Lemurs. Interesting Lemur Facts: Lemur can reach 3.6 to 27 inches in length and 1.1 ounce to 20 pounds of weight. Lemurs see very well at night but also rely on their sense of smell to help them get around and to recognize each other. However, you can also find a few of them on the Comoro Islands, these islands form an archipelago of volcanic islands near south-east Africa. There are an estimated 112 species of lemurs, which range in size from as small as one ounce to as large as 21 pounds. TOP-3 most interesting facts about lemurs. The word Lemur is Latin and means “spirits of the night”. They are hungry almost all the time and therefore keep eating the entire day. The story of lemurs begins over 70 million years ago, long before humans. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, lemurs are Earth's most endangered group of mammals. The Sleep Habits of Your Favorite Animals [Infographic]. Many Malagasy people believe that the Aye Aye lemur is evil and a symbol of death. It is actually a lemur species which lives in Madagascar’s deciduous forests and tropical rainforests. Fact 1: Lemurs are natives of Madagascar. Lemurs live in families of up to 15 members. Five fun facts about lemurs. When Madagascar separated from Africa, lemurs hitched rides on floating driftwood and other things to get to Madagascar. How many babies does a ring tailed lemur have? Let’s head down into the waters as we take a look at these 9 unbelievable facts about urchins. Why Are Black Cats Associated With Halloween? When available, tamarind makes up as much as 50% of the diet, especially during the dry, winter season. Sifakas are lemurs. 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