True lemur
| True lemurs | |
|---|---|
 | |
Mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz) | |
Conservation status | |
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Tetrapodomorpha |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Lemuridae |
| Genus: | Eulemur Simons & Rumpler, 1988[2] |
Type species | |
Lemur mongoz Linnaeus, 1766 | |
Diversity | |
| 12 species | |
 | |
| Combined distribution of Eulemur,excluding introductions[3] | |
Synonyms | |
| |
True lemurs, also known as brown lemurs, are the lemurs in genus Eulemur. They are medium-sized primates that live exclusively on Madagascar.
The fur of the true lemurs is long and usually reddish brown. Often there is sexual dimorphism in coloration (sexual dichromatism), such as in the black lemur. True lemurs are from 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 in) in length, with a tail that is as long or significantly longer than the body. They weigh from 2 to 4 kg (4 to 9 lb).
True lemurs are predominantly diurnal forest inhabitants, with some species preferring rain forests, while others live in dry forests. They are skillful climbers and can cross large distances in trees by jumping, using their non-prehensile tails to aid in balancing. When on the ground, they move almost exclusively on all four legs. True lemurs are social animals and live together in groups of two to 15 members.
The diet of the true lemurs is almost exclusively herbivorous: flowers, fruits and leaves. In captivity, they have been shown to also eat insects.
Gestation is 125 days. During the summer or early fall (shortly before the beginning of the rainy season), the females birth their young, usually two offspring. The young clasp firmly to the fur of their mother, then ride on her back when they are older. After about five months they are weaned, and they are fully mature at about 18 months of age. The life expectancy of the true lemurs can be up to 18 years, but this can be longer in captivity.
Contents
1 Classification
2 References
3 External links
4 Further reading
Classification
Genus Eulemur
Common brown lemur, Eulemur fulvus
Sanford's brown lemur, Eulemur sanfordi
White-headed lemur, Eulemur albifrons
Red lemur, Eulemur rufus
Red-fronted lemur, Eulemur rufifrons
Collared brown lemur, Eulemur collaris
Gray-headed lemur, Eulemur cinereiceps
Black lemur, Eulemur macaco
Blue-eyed black lemur, Eulemur flavifrons
Crowned lemur, Eulemur coronatus
Red-bellied lemur, Eulemur rubriventer
Mongoose lemur, Eulemur mongoz
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Eulemur distribution
red = E. fulvus, green = E. collaris,
purple = E. rufus, orange = E. cinereiceps,
blue = E. rufifrons, yellow = E. albifrons,
brown = E. sanfordi
red = E. rubriventer, green = E. mongoz,
purple = E. coronatus, orange = E. flavifrons,
blue = E. macaco
Eulemur rufus
References
^ "Checklist of CITES Species". CITES. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 18 March 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Groves, C.P. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 114–116. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
^ "IUCN 2014". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
External links
 | Wikispecies has information related to True lemur |
- ARKive - images and movies of the collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris)
- Primate Info Net Eulemur Factsheets
Further reading
- Markolf, M. and P. M. Kappeler. (2013). Phylogeographic analysis of the true lemurs (genus Eulemur) underlines the role of river catchments for the evolution of micro-endemism in Madagascar. Frontiers in Zoology 10:70.
