Lemur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lemurs
Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) carrying twins
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Strepsirrhini
Infraorder:	Lemuriformes Gray, 1821
Superfamilies
Cheirogaleoidea Lemuroidea

Lemurs are a special type of primate, but they are not monkeys. The word "lemur" comes from the Latin word lemures, which means "ghosts". There are about 100 different kinds of lemurs, grouped into eight main families.

Lemurs live only on the island of Madagascar. A few species also live on smaller islands nearby, like the Comoros.

Lemurs can be very small, weighing about 30 grams. The largest lemurs can weigh up to 10 kilograms. Sadly, some much larger lemur species have become extinct since people arrived in Madagascar. Usually, the smaller lemurs are active at night (nocturnal), while the larger ones are active during the day (diurnal).

Lemurs are endangered species today. This is because people destroy their homes, called habitats. Also, people used to hunt them.

What Lemurs Look Like

The Ring-tailed lemur is one of the most well-known types. It has black and white fur with a long, ringed tail. Larger lemurs can be about 1.5 meters tall and weigh around 2 to 3.5 kilograms. Lemurs often move quietly, especially at night. Some lemurs make strange, wailing cries. People think these sounds might be why they were named "ghosts."

What Lemurs Eat and How They Live

Lemurs mostly eat fruit, leaves, and other parts of plants. They live in groups called troops. These troops can have anywhere from 5 to 42 members.

Female lemurs are usually in charge of the group. They stay with the same troop for their whole lives. Male lemurs, however, often move between different troops.

A female lemur carries her babies for about four to five months. She usually has one or two babies at a time. Lemur mothers feed their babies milk until they are about four months old. After that, the babies start to eat solid foods like fruit.

Lemurs spend most of their time living in trees. Some lemurs are amazing jumpers. They can leap from one tree to another with great skill!

How Lemurs Communicate

Lemurs talk to each other using different kinds of hoots and calls. They also send messages using scents (smells).

When a male lemur wants to scare another male away, he does something interesting. He rubs his tail on special smelly glands under his arms. Then, he waves his tail in the other male's face! These smelly contests are sometimes called "stink fights."

• Lavasoa dwarf lemur
• Grey bamboo lemur
• Ring-tailed lemur
• Aye-aye
• Black-and-white ruffed lemur
• Silky sifaka

Related pages

• Duke Lemur Center

Images for kids

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  A life restoration of Babakotia radofilai, a sloth lemur that became extinct less than two thousand years ago

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  The Sahamalaza sportive lemur (Lepilemur sahamalazensis) was identified as a distinct species in 2006.

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  Close-up of a ruffed lemur's foot, showing the toilet-claw on the second toe and nails on all other toes

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  A six-tooth version of the strepsirrhine toothcomb in a ring-tailed lemur, with canine-like premolars behind it

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  Lemurs generally have a wet nose, or rhinarium, as well as a longer snout than anthropoid primates.

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  Aye-ayes exhibit eyeshine because they have a reflective layer of tissue in the eye, called a tapetum lucidum.

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  Mouse lemurs primarily eat fruit, although their diet also includes insects.

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  Up to 95% of the greater bamboo lemur's diet consists of bamboo.

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  Dwarf lemurs are solitary but social, foraging alone but often sleeping in groups.

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  Social grooming serves many functions for social lemurs.

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  Sifakas are specially adapted to vertical clinging and leaping, so they must hop sideways to move on the ground.

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  Lemurs use scent-marking to communicate. Pictured is a red-bellied lemur rubbing its rump against some smaller branches.

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  Woolly lemurs are nocturnal and typically give birth to one offspring, which they carry with them while foraging.

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  Berenty Private Reserve in southern Madagascar is both a popular tourist destination and research location. Alison Jolly began her research here in 1962.

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  Rosewood is logged illegally from national parks, such as Marojejy.

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  Rice paddies have gradually replaced lemur habitat, particularly in the central part of the island.

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  The indri is known locally as babakoto, which translates to "Ancestor of Man".

See also

In Spanish: Lemuroidea para niños