WORLD LEMUR DAY is celebrated on the last Friday of October every year.
At Wildlife Madagascar, we are excited to honor these unique, extraordinary, and beautiful animals! Lemurs definitely deserve their own day: they aren’t like any other species on Earth, they capture people’s imaginations and hearts, and they are in serious need of protection. We hope more people come to appreciate and admire lemurs, so we can band together to save them from extinction.
lemur life
Lemurs have a wide variety of fascinating behaviors that help them make their way in the world. And scientists are observing even more as they study these amazing primates in their Madagascar habitats. Here are a few aspects of lemur life that particularly stand out.
Here Comes the Sun
Many lemur species need a little warm-up in the morning before they get busy foraging for food and interacting with the family and neighbors. Sunbathing is just the thing! Sifakas, in particular, have been referred to as “sacred sun worshippers” for their habit of sitting upright facing the sun, head back and arms out, exposing the belly to soak up that warmth. Some lemurs even have dark coloration on their stomachs and the underside of their arms and legs to get every last ray.
SHE RULES THE ROOST
Among most lemur species (but not all), the females are in charge—a social system known as matriarchal. Lemur females show their dominance by marking their territories, snatching food away from the males, and sometimes even kicking them out of prized sleeping spots. The males tend not to take their share of a meal until the females have had their fill, and they tend to back down and show submissive behavior to the female leaders.
Dancing Queen
Lemurs tend to spend most of their time in the trees, leading a largely arboreal life. But some, like sifakas, do spend time on the ground, especially when traveling between areas that do not have continuous forest. Sifakas have a particular type of locomotion for traversing open ground: they “dance!” At least, that’s what it looks like to us. The sifakas stand upright and hop sideways on their hind feet, with their arms spread out to the sides for balance. Sometimes they sashay slowly; sometimes a leap or twirl is thrown in.
It’s efficient for the lemur—and charming to watch!
Unconventional Warfare
“You stink!” might be an insult to us humans, but it’s a badge of honor among lemurs. Using scent and scent marking is an important way that lemurs communicate, with each other and with other troops. Scent marks can define territory, warn off rivals, entice a mate, and let others know who has been by recently. Lemurs secrete these scents from glands on their arms, chests, and behinds, and they can be mixtures of different chemicals depending on the message.
They are even used in confrontations—in what are called stink fights! Ring-tailed lemurs are especially known for this way of settling disputes. When a stink fight begins, two rival males pull their tail along scent glands so the fur absorbs the smell. Then they wave, lash, and flick their tails at each other, throwing the smell instead of punches. Stink fights end when one lemur backs off. The fights are usually short, but they’ve been known to last up to an hour!
Plants, Please
While some members of the Lemuridae Family feast on animal food like insects, most species prefer the vegan menu, eating leaves, fruits, flowers, nectar, and bark. Some, like the Coquerel’s sifaka, are really into the greens, and they have a longer gut to break down tough leaves, and even remove some of the toxins in their food. And then there are the bamboo lemurs, which, as they name implies, feed heavily on bamboo. The surprising thing about that is that bamboo contains cyanide—and these lemurs regularly ingest 14 times the lethal dose for a human! Scientists are studying just how they manage to cope with this high quantity of a lethal chemical.
Tell Me about It
Most lemur species live in social groups, and they can be quite chatty. Vocalizations range from hoots, loud alarm cries, and shrieks to hissing sounds, grunts, and whistles. But the most striking call is that of the indri. Indris are famous for “singing,” a series of rhythmic, drawn-out calls that can be heard a mile away and echo hauntingly through the forest. Indris possess a laryngeal air sac they can inflate, which helps the sound to carry. They sing beautiful, melodious songs that can last about three minutes, communicating within their group and with other groups. Both males and females sing, and research has shown that group members carefully coordinate their chorus by copying each other’s rhythms and synchronizing notes. Not many primates sing, and indris are the only lemurs known to communicate this way. In fact, indris are the only other primate besides humans that have been found to have rhythm!
I Love the Nightlife
Many lemur species are up and at ‘em during the daytime, but some prefer the cover of darkness for their activities. Nighttime is the right time for smaller lemur species like mouse lemurs and dwarf lemurs, which can stay away from predators while also hunting insects for their own dinner. Nocturnal lemurs have large eyes that can reflect even small amounts of light for better nighttime vision, and their small body size helps them meld into their surroundings. Life after dark relies on stealth, so these lemurs don’t live in large, noisy social groups. They tend to be more solitary and independent. Daytime is nap time, tucked away in tree holes and crevices. They aren’t adverse to a little company then, though, and a few small lemurs may share a cozy nest for the day.
Discover More about Lemurs
Listen to Podcasts!
In this new 2024 podcast from Jack Baker at Pangolin, Lynne Venart (Director of the Lemur Conservation Network) discusses all of the latest updates in lemur conservation!
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Everywhere else
Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast
Our own Dr. Tim Eppley and Tojo Lytah Razafinahefa talk about lemurs and Madagascar with host Jack Baker on Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast
Visit the Lemur Conservation Network Website
Find out all about the purpose, history, and activities of World Lemur Day from the Lemur Conservation Network, and see how you can participate!
