The history of the genus and the homeland of lemurs, the main species and a description of their exterior, the keeping of lemurs at home, advice on purchasing, interesting facts. Lemurs are perhaps one of the most mysterious representatives of the world fauna; many stories and legends soar around them. This owner of an unusually beautiful and original appearance is increasingly attracting the attention of not only scientists zoologists, but also ordinary people who want to acquire unusual pets.
If you decided to bring a four-legged friend to your house, but at the same time realized that you want to have someone special, take a closer look at the adorable lemur. Having made a choice in his direction, you will receive not only an affectionate and playful animal, but also a lot of new feelings and emotions that he will provide you with. Just looking at him is a pleasure, and besides that, he is able to cheer you up at every minute and give his love and joy. Lemur are completely new colors for your daily life and in order to avoid difficulties in raising your pet, you should get to know him better.
Pedigree history and natural habitats of the lemur
This fluffy wonder is one of the biggest mysteries of the animal world around the globe. For many years, scientists have been studying the kinship and species of lemurs, but only today, biologists have achieved significant results. Indeed, at the end of the twentieth century, according to all sources, there were approximately 30–31 species of lemurs, and to date this figure has increased by significant 70 units, therefore, now there are 100 of their varieties, this list also includes their extinct representatives.
Also, one cannot fail to mention that it was previously believed that lemurs were considered semi-monkeys. Only now has it been proven that the Lemur family (Latin Lemuridae) belongs to the suborder of the most ancient primates of our land - wet-nosed (Latin Strepsirrhini). Their homeland is considered to be the territory of Madagascar and the Comoros. Previously, these animals were found almost everywhere on the island, but now they mainly live in dry forests and woodlands of the southwestern and eastern coasts. This is due to the fact that with the arrival of people in Madagascar, the number of magical animals decreased significantly, since they were previously hunted for the purpose of obtaining food and luxurious fur.
There are many hypotheses for the appearance of these animals on the islands. Some scientists believe that there was a land bridge between the lands of Africa and Madagascar, and due to the rise in sea levels that occurred millions of years ago, some part of the land was isolated, on which the fauna of Madagascar appeared. There is also a version that an ancient continent called Lemuria once took place in the Indian Ocean, which later sank, namely the territory of modern Madagascar is a part of it, which survived, and along with it some of its inhabitants, including lemurs.
Lemurs are creatures that belong to endangered species of animals, for this reason, more than 17 of their representatives are listed in the International Red Book, they are assigned the status of "vulnerable", and about 6 species - "endangered." But nothing can be said about all varieties, due to insufficient study of them.
Varieties and features of the appearance of a lemur
Despite the huge range of different types of lemurs, there are some structural features that are common to absolutely all species of these animals. This is a longer claw, located on the second toes of the hind legs - they use it as a comb for their thick and fluffy coat, they also have elongated canines and incisors of the lower jaw.
Today, all lemurids are classified as follows:
- family of ants (Latin Daubentoniidae);
- family of dwarf lemurs (lat. Chirogaleidae);
- the lepilemuric family (Latin Lepilemuridae);
- the lemur family (Latin Lemuridae);
- family of Indriaceae (Latin Indriidae).
Aye-aye or Madagascar aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis is a miracle with a very unusual sonorous name - the only representative of its family that has survived in our time. He was first met by the explorer of the west coast of Madagascar Pierre Sonner in 1780, and the animal received its full name in honor of the naturalist from France Louis Jean-Marie Daubanton. Since that time, there have been many discussions about the unique animal, because of its unusual incisors, which are particularly large in size and the fact that they continue to grow all their lives - for a long period it was attributed to rodents, but later it was proved that this is all- still a lemur, with such a special exterior.
This mysterious animal is rather large in relation to all wet-nosed primates. Its weight is about 2, 5–3 kg, body length is 35–45 cm. The tail of aye-aye is somewhat longer than its body, its size is approximately 50–60 cm. The coat of this animal is quite thick and shaggy, painted black or in a dark brown tone. The tail of the aye is different not only in size, but also in color - it is black with a silvery sheen. The head is large, has a rounded shape and a shortened facial section; its decorations are beautiful large eyes of light brown color with a golden tint and large spoon-shaped ears, on which there is no pubescence. It is thanks to the large size of the auditory organ that this animal has a well-developed hearing, which helps it to stock up on food. There is one more peculiarity of the aye-aye's appearance - the third finger on the forelimbs is a universal "tool" for the animal: a comb, a means to quench thirst and hunger.
Arriving in his homeland, do not think that you can easily meet this very timid eccentric. Lemur spends most of its life high in trees or in bamboo forests, comfortably settling in nests built with its own hands and hiding behind its wonderful tail. During the day, this shaggy representative of the lemurids is fast asleep, and at night he goes to refresh himself. In search of food, the animal actively jumps through trees and even descends to the ground and runs, leaning on its paws, clenched into fists, it does this because of its thumbs. Due to the slow reproduction (the pregnancy of a female lasts about 160-170 days and occurs every two to three years and gives birth to only one cub) in nature there are only 50 representatives of aye-knots, so now colonies are actively formed for the reproduction of these animals and an increase in their population in wildlife
Ring-tailed lemur or catta - Lemur catta
This handsome man is a certain symbol of Madagascar, the hallmark of the island. Catta or maki (as the locals call it) is an animal that spends most of its time on the ground, but controls that the forest is still nearby. The length of its body is approximately 37-42 cm, but the most noticeable attraction of the maki is its tail, which is up to 60 cm long. -white tones (it is believed that 13 stripes are drawn on the tail of the lemur). They lead a group lifestyle in the amount of 3 to 25 individuals, females predominate in the flock. Puberty begins at the age of three, pregnancy occurs every year and lasts approximately 135-140 days. Usually, one female gives life to only one baby, but in conditions of good feeding, there are cases of twins being born. The favorite diet of katta is fruits, leaves and herbaceous plants.
Ring-tailed lemurs are very friendly creatures, but if you disturb their calmness and comfort, they can show aggression.
Ginger Vari - Varecia rubra
This representative of wet-nosed primates is distinguished by impressive dimensions in comparison with their counterparts. Its body is wrapped in a thick ball of red hair, only the tips of its paws and tail are black. The weight of this animal ranges from 3 to 5 kg, the body length is approximately 50 cm, the tail, in turn, is longer - 58–60 cm. The period of activity of these creatures falls on the daytime, they spend most of their life period on the trees. This red-haired animal is distinguished by its special cleanliness, therefore, it devotes a lot of time to caring for itself or for its relatives. In calm conditions, these animals are very silent, but in the event of any danger approaching, they can emit a wide variety of sounds, which they call their relatives or give them a signal of danger.
They feed mainly on fruits and young shoots of plants, but their favorite delicacy is figs. As for the duration of the genus, it is more progressive in these red lemurs. Pregnancy of a female lasts about 100 days, and at one time 2-3 little lemurs are born, sometimes the offspring is in the amount of 4-6 cubs. The peculiarity of these lemurs is that they do not take their babies with them in search of food, but leave them in the nests that they build in the treetops. Reaching the age of four months, Vari babies become independent and absolutely adapted to survival.
Miller lemur - Microcebus murinus
Millerovo or gray mouse lemur are tiny animals resembling ordinary mice in appearance, which is why they got one of their names. The weight of these babies is only 40–80 grams, the body length is 12–20 cm, and the tail, like all lemurs, is longer than 13–25 cm. have a hairline. Their coat is short, soft and thick, shaded by nature in a gray color, sometimes with a reddish tint. They spend a long period of their life cycle in trees; they go in search of food at night. In the dry season, the mouse lemur tends to hibernate, since a sufficient amount of fat accumulates in the proximal end of the body. Hollows of trees act as their home, but some workers construct cozy nests for themselves from branches and leaves. Their pregnancy lasts about 55–65 days, after which from 1 to 4 babies are born.
Babokoto or indri - Indri indri
This is an extraordinary native of Madagascar, which is distinguished by an especially large body size and an almost absent tail. The length of its body can reach 90 cm, while the tail will grow only 2–4 cm. The weight of this animal is approximately 7–9 kg. Their coat is very beautiful and unique, it is a delightful thick fur, randomly colored in different tones: white, black and gray. These are very entertaining little animals, during the day they prefer to bask in the sun, comfortably sitting in the trees, where they spend almost all their time. And when morning comes, the indri begin to sing songs, which gives a signal about the ownership of the territory they occupy. Replenishment in their families happens every two to three years, and the puberty of females begins at 8-9 years of age. Nowadays, it is not possible to keep babokotos in the conditions of zoos and reserves, for this reason it is impossible to increase the number of these beauties in the world fauna.
Pet care at home
If we talk about such an inhabitant of your house as a lemur, then he does not put forward special requirements for his person. But it is still recommended that you familiarize yourself with some of the nuances of caring for him before inviting him into your home. If you are ready to care for him properly, you will receive a portion of daily joy and fun with the participation of this eccentric.
- House for your pet. It doesn't matter if you buy a cage or aviary at a pet store or make it yourself. The only thing to consider is size. Your four-legged friend needs a lot of personal space so that he can go for a walk and do his own thing. The dwelling can be furnished with different branches or ropes, so that he has the opportunity to have fun. The bedding must be made of cotton wool, and preferably from dried hay. Also in his dwelling there should be utensils for food and water, which should be filled in the evening, due to his nocturnal lifestyle. But the presence of a cage does not mean that the lemur must spend all the time there, it must be often released for a walk.
- Diet your original friend. When drawing up a menu for a lemur, you need to remember that a third of all food products should consist of insects, porridge, fermented milk products and fruits. They willingly eat bread soaked in milk, hard-boiled eggs and milk porridge. This animal is known for its sweet tooth, for this reason, if your pet turns up his nose from certain foods, try smearing them with a layer of honey - you will be very surprised at how quickly he changes his mind. He will be very happy if you pamper him with raspberries, cherries, banana, melon and other goodies. Also, he will not at all mind eating a piece of boiled chicken or a portion of dog food, if you have one, but you should not feed him with food all the time, this can negatively affect his health and mood, respectively. A very important part of his diet is insects, which cannot be ruled out.
- Hygiene. The house of your friend from Madagascar must be cleaned daily, since he will not go to the tray, therefore, for his comfort, it is necessary to eliminate the waste products of the lemur and carry out wet cleaning of his home.
Difficulty keeping lemurs
"You can't be cute by force" - this proverb to some extent also applies to lemurs. It is impossible to accustom him to the litter box, he is used to relieve himself wherever he pleases, and all attempts to retrain him, imposing on him rules that he does not like, will not bring with him anything but the aggression and discontent of your pet. For this reason, it is necessary to think carefully and weigh all the pros and cons before purchasing this handsome man.
Buying and price of a lemur
Since today the popularity of these animals is increasing every day, and their prices are quite high (60,000-100,000 rubles), poaching does not bypass them. If you find the animal you are interested in, be sure to make sure that this representative was really born in captivity, they must have all the documents: a veterinary passport, a doctor's certificate and a certificate of origin. The absence of at least one of these documents may be a sign that the lemur presented to you is torn off from its native land and family. In this case, the life of the animal will be partially broken, and you will know that you have made an irreparable contribution to the disappearance of these fabulous animals from our planet.
Interesting facts about lemurs
There are many stories floating around these entertaining animals. In ancient times, people believed that lemurs carried the souls of the dead.
The aborigines of Madagascar believe that if someone falls asleep in the jungle, then aye-aye must put a pillow under his head; if a person finds a pillow at the head, he will enjoy joy and great riches, and if the pillow is placed at his feet, this is a sign of curse.
What a lemur looks like, see this video:
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