Before Madagascar, lemurs lived under the radar. Today, King Julien is a household name and some of us think about his silly quotes a little too often. Little did we know that lemurs are such amazing animals. Here’s 10 reasons why.
1. There Are More Than 100 Lemur Species
This one really shocked me. More than 100 different lemur species? It turns out the lemur world is much bigger than the popular ring-tailed lemurs. In fact, they’re frequently discovering new species. All of them are endemic to Madagascar, but there are many, many differences between the species.
You know Maurice from Madagascar? He’s one of those unique animals that you won’t believe exist. He’s an aye-aye, which is a type of lemur. Well, thanks to the popular animated movie franchise, we now all know of their existence but still, they’re pretty weird and rare. Then, there’s also Mort, another one of the lemurs of Madagascar. He’s a mouse lemur, which happens to be one of the smallest mammals in the world.
Unfortunately, lemurs are also one of the lesser known wild animals that need conservation. Some of the larger species have already gone extinct, while 99% of the existing species are considered threatened. Sadly, 33 of the 100+ species are critically endangered.
2. Lemurs Are Called Creators of the Forests
Isn’t that just a beautiful thing to call them? Creators of the forests. Lemurs play an indispensable role in Madagascar, where they spread seeds through the forests. It helps a great deal when it comes to forest regeneration, especially in current times. The way they distribute the seeds (in with the new and out with the old) isn’t an idyllic image, but it’s the thought that counts. Those seed-filled droppings also act as natural fertilizers, so the seeds get all of the nutrients they need to germinate.
3. Lemurs Are the Only Non-Human Primates with Blue Eyes
Lemurs are prosimians, which is one of the four types of primates. In general, primates have dark eyes, ranging from brown to black. With the exception of humans, of course. Most lemurs have brighter, yellowish eyes, but the blue-eyed black lemur, or Sclater’s lemur, is different. The name says it all but in case you missed it, these lemurs have blue eyes. They’re sexually dichromatic, so males and females are different colors, but they share the blue eyes that other non-human primates don’t have.
Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, can also have blue or green eyes, but it’s not a given. Since blue-eyed black lemurs always have blue eyes, they win. The end.
4. Lemurs Self-Medicate
Lemurs, and red-fronted lemurs in particular, chew on millipedes to kill gastrointestinal parasites. They also apply the secretions of said millipedes to their perianal-genital areas and tails like a type of ointment. Self-medicating in the animal kingdom is known as zoo pharmacognosy.
5. Lemurs Are the Oldest Living Primates
Lemurs are the oldest living primates in the world. Their ancestors arrived in Madagascar as long as 70 million years ago. Since they were geographically isolated from other primate groups, lemurs evolved into the 100+ species that exist today.
6. Lemurs Get High with Millipedes
It turns out that millipedes aren’t just good for gastrointestinal issues. Well, not according to lemurs. Some lemur species bite into millipedes to get high. Apparently, the chemicals that they release as a defense mechanism, like cyanide and benzoquinone, have a narcotic effect. Who cares about parasites when you can use millipedes for a fun time, right?
7. Girls Run the Lemur World
Lemurs are just some of the many animals that have leaders. To make matters even more interesting, their lemur societies are run by females. All female lemurs have the ability to assert dominance over males, and this passes down the lineage as they have daughters. How do they assert dominance, you may ask? They kick males out of their sleeping spots, snatch their food, and even get physical.
8. Smart Lemurs Are More Popular
Some lemurs have weird animal habits, like the aye-aye that picks its nose. But other lemurs are pretty smart, and they gain a lot of popularity for their mental abilities. The group members will all show more affection to the individuals with good problem-solving skills. If they can solve tasks that lead to food for the group, they get rewarded with grooming and touching. The lemurs will even sit closer to the smart ones. How’s that for clique behavior?
9. Ring-Tailed Lemurs Have Stink Fights
Male ring-tailed lemurs take their dominance very seriously. Fortunately, they have a secret weapon to help them protect it. They have scent glands on their chests, genital regions, and wrists that secrete a fatty, stinky substance. When conflict comes knocking, they secrete the stinky liquid and rub it on their tails before waving it in the air. When they do this, they mean business.
It can happen outside of breeding season too, like when a naughty bunch are trying to steal resources or take over a territory. Plus, it’s a great way to resolve conflict without having to resort to physical violence. All lemurs have the scent glands, but the others use them to communicate and mark their territories.
10. Lemur Means Evil Spirit of the Dead
In Latin, lemur has a rather sinister meaning. It means ghost, or even spirit. The name comes from lemures, which used to refer to evil spirits of the dead. The Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, came up with the idea of calling these primates lemurs. Apparently, it was fitting because of their ghost-like faces and nocturnal behavior. Plus, it didn’t help that the Malagasy people were scared of lemurs and believed that they were like spirits. I think I’ll stick to calling them creators of the forests.
