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| Red
Ruffed Lemur |
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| Common
Name: |
red
ruffed lemur |
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| Class:
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Mammalia |
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| Order: |
Primata |
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| Family:
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Lemuridae |
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| Genus
species: |
Varecia
variegata (variegated) ruba (red) |
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| Fast
Facts |
| Description:
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Active,
tree dwelling primates with cat-like nose and whiskers; fur is soft
and coloration is reddish brown with black markings. |
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| Size:
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Head
and body length = 47.5-50 cm (19-20 in)
Tail length = 59 cm (23.6 in) |
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| Weight: |
3.6-4.5
kg (8-10 lbs) |
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| Diet:
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Predominantly
vegetation such as flowers, fruit, seeds, nectar, and leaves |
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| Gestation:
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90-102
days; usually 3 offspring, up to 6 |
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| Sexual
maturity: |
20 months
old |
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| Life
span: |
18 years
or older |
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| Range:
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Eastern
Madagascar, within the Masoala Penisula east of the Antainambalana
River |
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| Habitat:
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Tropical
rainforest |
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| Population: |
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| Status:
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Listed
by USFWS as endangered and protected by CITES Appendix I |
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| Fun
Facts |
| 1. |
Lemurs
are also called prosimians, which means "before apes". They
have primitive primate features such as a small brain case and a prominent
nose. |
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| 2. |
Lemurs
rely on their sense of smell as a way of communicating with other
animals. They have special scent glands on their wrists and bottoms
that leave scent trails on branches to mark their territories. |
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| 3. |
A lemur's
soft, broad fingers and toes have flat nails that allow it to grip
objects and groom other lemurs. |
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| 4. |
These
prosimians are quite social and the groups have clearly defined male
and female hierarchies. Most communities number 2 to 5 individuals. |
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| 5. |
A female
lemur carries her newborn to a new nest site in her mouth. |
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| 6. |
The
lemur's thick bushy tail serves as a visual signal when it is threatened
or as a balancing tool when it leaps through the trees. |
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| 7. |
Red-ruffed
lemurs are able to pursue sitting birds of prey as well as some terrestrial
carnivores in order to distract them from a lemur nest near by. |
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| Ecology
and Conservation |
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Lemurs
fill an important ecological role of Madagascar. These primates
often feed on an assortment of seasonal fruits and as they travel
throughout their environment, they disperse undigested seeds in
their manure. The seeds soon sprout to replenish the vegetation
that sustains Madagascar's unique inhabitants. This is very important
on an island where over 80% of the original habitats have been lost
to logging and agriculture. The Malagasy people struggle to save
their country's dwindling biodiversity. They maintain national parks
to protect wildlife, support the ecotourism industry, and search
for less damaging methods of farming.
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| Bibliography |
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Burton,
J. (ed.). The Atlas of Endangered Species. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Co., 1991.
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Macdonald,
D.(ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol 1. London: Equinox
Ltd., 1984. |
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Nowak,
R. Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol 1. London: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 1991.
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Preston-Mafham,
Ken. Madagascar: A Natural History. Oxford: Ken Preston-Mafham,
1991. |
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Preston-Mafham,
Rod and Ken. 1999. Primates of the World. Sterling Pub., New
York. |
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Rowe,
Noel. 1996. The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. Pogonios
Press, NY. |
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Tattersall,
Ian. The Primates of Madagascar. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1982. |
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to Animal Bytes |
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