What Is a Lemur?

Answer:

Madagascar is world-famous for its lemurs — primates that look something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog. These animals are unique to the island and display a range of interesting behaviors from singing like a whale (the indri) to sashaying across the sand like a ballet dancer (the sifaka).

Most lemurs have long, pointy noses, which contribute to their excellent sense of smell. Compared to other primates, lemurs have smaller brains and rely more on their sense of smell than their sense of sight. Also, their hands and feet are not as well adapted for grasping as those of other primates.

Scientists are not sure of the number of lemur species living today; each type of lemur looks very different. They vary color from reddish brown to grey, and come in all different sizes, too. The smallest lemur, the pygmy mouse lemur, weighs only one ounce. But the biggest lemurs, the Indri and Diademed Sifaka lemurs, can weigh up to fifteen pounds, which is about as much as a big cat. Some species are diurnal, or active during the day. Dwarf lemurs, mouse lemurs, and aye-ayes are some species that are nocturnal.

Many lemurs are herbivores. They will eat almost everything the forest’s trees and plants have to offer. Ring-tailed lemurs, for example, eat fruits, flowers, buds, bark, sap, seeds, and leaves. Some species, such as the mouse lemurs, are omnivores. They eat insects, eggs, frogs, and lizards as well as plants. The aye-aye eats insect larvae.