LemursBy: Emily Pena

What do they look like? The size of a lemur can vary from about 15-22 pounds The color of a lemurs fur can be shades of red, brown,

black, or white Lemurs have 4 long legs for running and leaping They have a snout and a very good sense of smell Lemurs have big eyes that allow them to have good

night vision They have long fingers and toes and opposable

thumbs And they have a long, fur-covered tail Lemurs have a “toothcomb”, four-six teeth evenly

spaced apart for grooming

toothcomb

About the species Lemurs eat fruits, plants, insects and small vertebrates They have 2 airborne predators and only one ground

predator Hawks and eagles will take babies The fossa will take babies and adults who are not

sleeping high enough in trees at night They are a keystone species

They eat the fruit from trees on the island and then when they excrete them, they increase the chances of that tree species' survival

They can eat larger seeds, making them excellent seed dispersers

Where are Lemurs found? Lemurs are only found in the wild on

one island, Madagascar. They are thought to have floated to the

island on mats of vegetation and trees

Why are they endangered? Hunting Deforestation Predation They are endemic A loss of their habitat creates physical

limitations and makes it harder for them to breed

Predicted extinction The total number of lemurs left in the

wild is unknown but lemurs could be extinct by 2050 if hunting and deforestation are not stopped

Why save them? Lemurs can only be found in Madagascar.

If they go extinct, there will be none left in the world

Lemurs satisfy many of Madagascar’s ecological niches They are the only species on the island

that is able to eat the large fruits produced by the trees of Madagascar, making them the only species able to spread the trees’ seeds

What is being done about it?

The Duke learning center has a breeding and education program to study the species’ behavior and help conserve the biodiversity of Madagascar

Communities in Madagascar are also trying to education people and increase tourism

What else could be done?

Conservation reserves in the forests of Madagascar

Laws banning lemur hunting Putting a stop to illegal logging

Are current efforts working? Conservation efforts in Madagascar are difficult

because of poverty and climate change The Duke Learning Center has a successful breeding

program and the Duke Lemur Center has the largest population of lemurs outside of Madagascar

Breeding programs can help increase the population, but if deforestation in Madagascar isn’t stopped, there won’t be anywhere for them to be released

With political problems in Madagascar, it’s hard to enforce logging and hunting laws

Works CitedBaicker, K., Delaney, K., & Yates, S. (2010). Lemurs. Pleasantsville, NY: Gareth Stevens. Lemurs named world's most endangered mammals. (2012, July 13). Retrieved January 28, 2014, from CBS News website: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ lemurs-named-worlds-most-endangered-mammels/Lemurs of madagascar. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2014, from Wild Madagascar website: http://www.wildmadagascar.org/wildlife/lemurs.html Richards, L. (2012, August 29). Lemurs considered critically endangered. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from The Duke Chronicle website:      http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2012/08/29/       lemurs-considered-critically-endangered

Roach, J. (2004, July 26). African trees may be tied to lemurs' fate. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from National Geographic website: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07

/0721_040721_madagascar.html Scardina, J., & Flocken, J. (2012). Wildlife heros. Philidelphia, PA: Running Press.