The Night Wandering Ghost

The  Night Wandering Ghost

1. The word ‘lemur’ means a ‘night wandering ghost’ referring to their stealthy, noiseless movement through the forest by night. When alarmed by predators, however, these primates are far from quiet, emitting an elaborate system of loud barks through the forest to alert other group members. 

2. Along with lorises and tarsiers, the lemur is a prosimian - an “early primate” - and a relative of monkeys and other primates. 

3. The lemur is a primate native to the island of Madagascar, a large island off the south east coast of Africa. 

4. Lemurs are small-medium sized primates plus a long tail which is often nearly as long as its body. Lemurs also have sharp claws on their feet which enable the lemur to hold onto tree branches, particularly useful when the lemur is trying to escape from a hungry predator! 

5. Lemurs are one of the few animals that live in a matriarchal society, which means that the girl lemurs have more control over the group than the boy lemurs. These lemur groups however, behave in a very similar way to other primates as they feed and groom each other, as well as sleeping close to one another.  

6. The most commonly known species of lemur is the ring-tailed lemur; this lemur has very distinctive black and white rings on its tail.

7. Varecia variegata is the largest member of the lemur family, weighing 7.7 to 10 lbs. Its body length is about 50 cm (20"), and its tail is about 60 cm (24") long. 

8. There are approximately 10 different species of lemur inhabiting the island where the lemurs spend most of their time in the trees.

9. Lemurs are best known for their large, round reflective eyes and their wailing screams. 

10. Lemurs also have furry, pointed ears and long tails, with lemurs often being compared to both monkeys and squirrels. 

11. The lemur will eat most small things from berries, nuts and leaves to insects and spiders this is called an omnivorous diet. Lemurs get most of their food from the surrounding trees but lemurs will occasionally forage for grub on the forest floor if they have no luck in the branches. 

12. The black and white ruffed lemur, the russet mouse lemur, the woolly lemur, the aye aye and the ring tail lemur are among the most common species of lemur found in Madagascar, although the Aye Aye is considered to be a species of lemur very different from the rest, mainly due to the long middle fingers of the aye aye which it uses to get food out of holes. 

13. There are four main types of lemur containing nearly 100 different lemursubspecies between them. 

14. The best predator of Madagascar, the fossa (see photo gallery), is also a big threat to the lemur, as lemurs are one of the favorite meals of a fossa. The lemur has fast reactions and is very agile but the fossa is a stubborn and lightening quick animal, so the lemur generally becomes dinner. 

15. Approximately 40 million years ago, several lemurs, floating on fallen trees, crossed the widening sea between their African habitat and theisland of Madagascar. The lemur continued to evolve in isolation and developed into more than 40 different species.  Seventeen of these species are now extinct and the rest are endangered. 

16. Madagascar natives once believed that the black and white lemurs worshipped the sun because they often sunbathe.

17. Lemurs sometimes hang upside down by their feet to feed.

18. Ring-tailed lemurs are sunbathers, sitting with their bellies facing the sun with arms and legs stretched out. 

19. Ring-tailed lemurs are one of the most vocal primates. They have several different alarm calls with distinct meanings to alert members of their group to potential danger.

20. Ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands on their wrists and chests that they use to mark their foraging routes. Male ringtails are equipped with scent glands on their wrists which are used in "stink fighting" with a rival 
male. A horny spur on the male’s wrist gland is used to pierce tree branches before scent marking them.