The
ruffed lemur is a
strepsirrhine primate and the largest
extant lemur within the family
Lemuridae. Like all lemurs, they are found only on the island of
Madagascar. Formerly considered to be a
monotypic genus, two
species are now recognized: the
Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, with its three
subspecies, and the
Red Ruffed Lemur. Ruffed lemurs are
diurnal and
arboreal quadrupeds, often observed leaping through the upper
canopy of the seasonal
tropical rainforests in eastern Madagascar. They are also the most
frugivorous of the Malagasy lemurs, and they are very sensitive to habitat disturbance. Ruffed lemurs live in multi-male/multi-female groups and have a complex and flexible social structure, described as
fission-fusion. They are highly vocal, and have loud, raucous calls. Ruffed lemurs are seasonal breeders and highly unusual in their reproductive strategy. They are considered an "evolutionary enigma" in that they are the largest of the extant species in Lemuridae, yet exhibit reproductive traits more common in small, nocturnal lemurs, such as short
gestation periods and large average
litter sizes. Ruffed lemurs also build nests for their newborns (the only primates that do so), carry them by mouth, and exhibit an absentee parental system by stashing them while they forage. Threatened by habitat loss and hunting, ruffed lemurs are facing
extinction in the wild. (
more...)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
- did u know lemurs were primates? like humans and monkeys?
- did u know they only lived in Madagascar?
- that leaving youngsters in a nest while "foraging" is considered ABSENTEE PARENTING? whoa!
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