African Lemur

Family LEMUROVYE lemurid family, or lemuroobraznyh prosimians, lemurs actually combines living in Madagascar and some smaller neighboring islands. In these animals, the thick hair with a variety of coloring, the tail long and bushy, often elongated snout like a fox, a group of tactile hairs 5.4 - whiskers, eyes large and rather close together. Limbs with good grasping opposable thumbs. In all his fingers - nails, just on the second toe of the foot - claw, which is called the dressing and is used for combing wool. On the median of the upper jaw the incisors are widely separated (diastema), the lower incisors with the teeth close together and strongly inclined forward, forming a "tooth comb". There is a lower tongue. Lemuridy are nocturnal, daytime and crepuscular lifestyle. There are wood, poludrevesnye and ground forms. The word "lemur" means "ghost," "the spirit of the deceased."
 The family Lemuridae is divided into two subfamilies: lemurovye, or the true lemurs, with the genera Lemur, Hapalemur and Lepilemur and mouse lemurs with childbirth Cheirogaleus, Microcebus and Phaner. In mouse lemurs navicular bone and the heel lengthened, as in African galago. Such a structure of the hind limb heel - an adaptation to the movement of jumps. The number of members of the family is declining dramatically. Many species in the Red Book.
 Lemurs are 5 common species: L. catta, L. variegatus, L. macaco, L. mongoz, L. rubriventer. Sometimes they are called in the literature of poppies. It's quite moving creatures in captivity they are fun and easily tamed. They are often found in zoological gardens, where the well-breed (from 1959 to 1963 in various zoos of the world was born 78 lemurs). The case when the black lemur has lived in London Zoo, more than 27 years. In captivity, lemurs get used to any meal, which takes just a mouth or forepaws and bring it to his mouth. Typically, maki - wood animals, but the cat lemur spends much time on the ground, on rocks of Southern Madagascar. Poppies are active at dusk and in the afternoon. Explicitly day - cat lemur, lemur, and boil krasnobryuhy lemur. They prefer large horizontal branches of trees, which deftly and quickly moved by controlling the tail as a balancer.
Sometimes the cat lemur in a state of agitation and excitement impels forward the advanced eye, and the tail slips between the front paws. Food poppies make figs, bananas and other fruits, as well as leaves and flowers. But some poppies regales eggs of birds and insects. The main natural enemies of the lemurs - hawks, which they hide in dense foliage. Most Macs have muzzle of moderate length, rounded ears, obvoloshennye, golden eyes and look more or less in advance. Hind legs longer than the front, the tail is longer than the body (except for L. variegatus). Coat color cat lemur gray, lighter on the legs and the tail black and white rings. In lemur boil in color is dominated by black and white, and they vary greatly in different individuals. In krasnobryuhogo lemur brown robe, with a reddish belly, in L. macaco - black. The largest of the lemur boil them, and the smallest - mongots lemur. Poppy live in small herds of 5 to 20 individuals. Such groups include males, females and young of different ages. Herds occupy definitely circumscribed area, where they spend their time in search of food and fun. Many of them tend to lick and clean the hair from each other. Macs communicate with each other and grunting purring voice, sometimes shrill scream. They sleep with the lemurs poluvypryamlennym body, the head is between your knees, hands and feet covered tree branch, and the tail is twisted around the body. Black lemur often lies on his stomach along the branches, for which holds the front legs, and back hanging. Ordinary lemurs breed in March - April, some in September - November. Pregnancy lasts 120-125 days, then 1.2 cubs are born, the mass of each of them about '80 until two or three weeks, he clings to the belly of the mother, and then climbs on her back. At 6 months of becoming self-reliant, in 18 months, reaching sexual maturity.
 Lemurs are the meek or gapalemury (Hapalemur) or polumaka, apparently quite similar to ordinary lemurs. Total body length ranges from 70 cm of gray gapalemura (H. griseus) to 90 cm in the New World (H. simus). The tail is equal in length to head and body together. In both species, the big toe is very large. The head is rounded, the ears obvolosheny. The facial skin is pink and black. The fur is a greenish-gray, with red and black markings. Limbs and tail are gray. They live in small groups (3-6 individuals) in a certain area, reported a short low grunts.
 Lemurs fine or lepilemury (Lepilemur), are widely distributed in Madagascar and contains a single species.
 Mouse lemurs or hirogale, represented by three species: C. major, C. medius, C. trichotis. It is nocturnal, the inhabitants of the tropical forests of Madagascar. Normally feed on fruit, at least - by insects. Perhaps they polish and honey. Body size hirogale like the big rat. The tail is shorter (16,5-25 cm), head and body and is very thick at the base. The muzzle is short and the ears almost obvolosheny, membranous type. Coat color brownish-red or gray (in some - with white markings), dark rings around the eyes, emphasizing the large size of the eye. Calcaneus hirogale long, and they move along the ground with jumps. There are mouse lemurs alone and in pairs, but in captivity can be kept in large groups. Sleeping, curled into a ball, in the hollows of trees or in nests made of grass, small twigs and leaves. In the same condition they are in a period of physiological torpor into which flow into the dry season. In favorable (wet) period, they accumulate fat in different parts of the body, especially at the base of the tail, and in a state of prolonged stupor consume these fat stores. Pregnancy lasts about hirogale 70 days, the female gives birth to 3.2-blind cubs weighing 18-20 0, but his eyes are opened already on the 2nd day of life. His mother has a baby in her mouth. There have been cases hirogale breeding in captivity.
 Dwarf lemurs or mikrotsebusy are two species: M. murinus and M. coquereli. This is the finest representatives of the primates. Their body weight of approximately 60 g, the tail is longer (17-28cm) than the head and body together (13-25 cm). The fur is soft, furry, brown or gray with reddish and whitish markings on the lower parts of the body. On the nose band of white, eyes large. The ears are large, mobile, round, membranous type. The limbs are short, longer than the front rear. Mikrotsebusy - the inhabitants of tropical forests. They nest in hollow trees or in bushes, make their nests of dry leaves. Occur alone or in pairs on the tops of tall trees, often see them in the thickets of reeds along the shores of lakes. They climb the trees like squirrels, and jump on the ground, are active at night, hunting for insects and possibly other small animals that feed on as fruit. Mikrotsebusy sleeping curled into a ball. Fall into a stupor in the dry season. Their enemies - goshawk. In captivity behave aggressively, but there are also a more gentle nature, relatively easy to reproduce. During the breeding season falls in May - September in northern latitudes (in captivity) or December - May, in Madagascar. Pregnancy lasts 59-62 days, 1.3 are born very small baby, weighing only 3-5; in 15 days they begin to climb. Become fully independent after 60 days and reach sexual maturity at 7-10 months. The case when an instance of dwarf lemur living in the London Zoo for over 15 years.