Losing Lemurs
Primates may be the most loved and
enjoyed animals that people may wish to visit at a zoo. The plight
of many species of monkey and ape is not always well publicized or
understood by visitors but public education efforts continue to
raise awareness and much need attention.
Unlike
almost most other mammals, Ruffed
Lemurs of the rainforests of eastern Madagascar live in
monogamous pairs for life, usually accompanied by their immature
offspring. Even
more unusual, the female is dominant over the male who lacks the
typical larger body size, enlarged canines and higher level of
aggression of other primate males. Mainly active by day, this large
member of the lemur family forages for fruit, flowers, leaves and
insects in the trees and on the ground. The loud calls, often
emitted in unison, sound like roaring, and serve to announce the
pair’s presence to other families in the thick jungle. The ruffed
lemur gives birth to one to four young. This species may live over
20 years in zoos.
Of
the 50 recent species of lemurs, 15 have been exterminated by human
activity and all 35 surviving ones are endangered due to habitat destruction
and over-hunting.
Although
looking very different, the red
ruffed and the black and white
ruffed lemurs are only colour morphs of the same species.
Rather sparsely distributed through their rainforest home, ruffed
lemurs are prime prey for a
variety of hawks, eagles and owls. Lemurs spend much time grooming
themselves and each other, thereby reinforcing social bonds. A
specialized set of forward-sloping incisors in the lower jaw is
used as a comb for cleaning the fur and removing
parasites.
The
Ring-tailed Lemur lives in
the moist and dry deciduous forest and dry, rocky areas of shrubs
in south and west Madagascar. Unlike other lemurs at the zoo,
ring-tailed lemurs usually have two young at a time. At first the
young is carried on the mother’s underside, but after two weeks it
travels on her back. Although this lemur will drink water when
available, it can go without – extracting sufficient moisture from
its food. Trails and home-range boundaries are marked with scent
from glands on the wrists, and spread with the long
tail.