Southern woolly lemur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern woolly lemur |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Indriidae |
| Genus: | Avahi |
| Species: |
A. meridionalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Avahi meridionalis Zaramody et al., 2006
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| Distribution of A. meridionalis | |
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The Southern woolly lemur (Avahi meridionalis) is a special kind of woolly lemur. Scientists officially recognized it as its own species in 2006. It's also called the Southern avahi. These lemurs are active at night, which means they are nocturnal.
Southern woolly lemurs usually live in pairs. A group can be as small as two, just the parent lemurs. Sometimes, their group can grow to five individuals, including their older offspring. Studies show that a family's home area can be between 2.2 and 3.5 hectares. Male lemurs might travel farther each night than females. Females often spend more time eating.
Where They Live
The Southern woolly lemur lives only in certain parts of Madagascar. You can find them in the Andohahela reserve and the Sainte Luce area. Scientists are still studying their exact living areas. They want to know where their territory ends and where the territory of their close relative, Peyrieras' woolly lemur (A. peyrierasi), begins.
In the forests where Southern woolly lemurs live, they share their home with other lemur species. These include the brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus) and the greater dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus major). Other neighbors are the fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) and the collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris). In the Mandena Forest, they also live near the southern lesser bamboo lemur (Hapalemur meridionalis).
What They Look Like
The Southern woolly lemur has fur that is grey-brown on its back. This color gets lighter grey towards its tail. Its belly is grey. The tail is red-brown and gets darker towards the end.
Female Southern woolly lemurs weigh about 1.2 kg (2.6 lb). Males are a bit lighter, weighing around 1.1 kg (2.4 lb). From head to body, females are about 27 cm (11 in) long. Males are slightly shorter, at about 25 cm (9.8 in).
What They Eat
Avahi meridionalis mainly eats leaves and buds. They sometimes eat flowers, but this is rare. They don't just eat the most common leaves around. They choose their food carefully.
These lemurs prefer to eat older leaves that have more protein. But as soon as they can, they switch to eating younger leaves. Young leaves are richer in protein and have less fiber and sugar. In Sainte Luce, A. meridionalis also ate leaves that contained certain plant chemicals. Scientists used to think these lemurs were very picky eaters. However, studies show they are more like generalists. This means they eat many types of leaves. They choose leaves based on how healthy they are and if they can handle the plant's natural chemicals.
Protecting Them
The Southern woolly lemur mostly lives in small parts of the rainforests in southeastern Madagascar. These areas include Mandena and Sainte Luce. The health of their forest home is very important. If the forest is damaged, it can affect how many lemurs live there. It can also impact how many babies are born. Protecting these forests is key to helping the Southern woolly lemur survive.
 | Tommie Smith |
 | Simone Manuel |
 | Shani Davis |
 | Simone Biles |
 | Alice Coachman |
