Woolly lemur
Encyclopedia
The woolly lemurs, also known as avahis or woolly indris, are nine species of strepsirrhine
primate
s. Like all other lemur
s, they live only on the island of Madagascar
.
With a body size of 30 to 50 cm and a weight of 600 to 1200 g, the woolly lemurs are the smallest indriid
s. Their fur is short and woolly. The body can be grey brown to reddish, with white on the back of the thighs, with a long orange tail. Their head is round with a short muzzle and ears hidden in the fur.
The woolly lemurs can be found in both humid and dry forests, spending most of their time in the leafy copse. Like many leafeater
s they need long naps to digest their food. Woolly lemurs live together in groups of two to five animals, which often consist of parents and several generations of their offspring.
Like all indriids, the woolly lemurs are strictly vegetarian
, eating predominantly leaves, but also buds and, rarely, flowers.
Males and females live in pairs. Although likely, the presence of extrapair copulations (which exist in other pair-living nocturnal lemurs, e.g. the Masoala Fork-crowned Lemur
(Phaner furcifer) and the Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur
(Cheirogaleus medius)) has never been demonstrated in Avahi species. The gestation period is four to five months, with births usually coming in September. In the first few months, the young rides on the back of its mother. After approximately six months it is weaned
, and can live independently after a year, although it will typically live for another year in proximity to its mother. Overall life expectancy is not known.
On November 11, 2005, a research team that discovered a new species of woolly lemur in 1990 in western Madagascar named the species, Bemaraha Woolly Lemur (Avahi cleesei), after actor John Cleese
, in recognition of Cleese's work to save lemurs in the wild. In 2006 a taxonomic revision of eastern avahis based on genetic and morphological analyses led to the identification of two extra species: A. meridionalis and A. peyrierasi. Further taxonomic revision increased the number of species, by adding A. ramanantsoavana and A. betsileo. Finally a new species was discovered in the Masoala peninsula, Moore's Woolly Lemur
(A. mooreorum).
Strepsirrhini
The clade Strepsirrhini is one of the two suborders of primates. Madagascar's only non-human primates are strepsirrhines, and others can be found in southeast Asia and Africa...
primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s. Like all other lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s, they live only on the island of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
With a body size of 30 to 50 cm and a weight of 600 to 1200 g, the woolly lemurs are the smallest indriid
Indriidae
The Indriidae are a family of strepsirrhine primates. They are medium to large sized lemurs with only four teeth in the toothcomb instead of the usual six...
s. Their fur is short and woolly. The body can be grey brown to reddish, with white on the back of the thighs, with a long orange tail. Their head is round with a short muzzle and ears hidden in the fur.
The woolly lemurs can be found in both humid and dry forests, spending most of their time in the leafy copse. Like many leafeater
Folivore
In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less energy than other types of foods, and often toxic compounds. For this reason folivorous animals tend to have long digestive tracts and slow metabolisms....
s they need long naps to digest their food. Woolly lemurs live together in groups of two to five animals, which often consist of parents and several generations of their offspring.
Like all indriids, the woolly lemurs are strictly vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
, eating predominantly leaves, but also buds and, rarely, flowers.
Males and females live in pairs. Although likely, the presence of extrapair copulations (which exist in other pair-living nocturnal lemurs, e.g. the Masoala Fork-crowned Lemur
Masoala Fork-crowned Lemur
The Masoala fork-marked lemur , also known as the eastern fork-marked lemur or Masoala fork-crowned lemur, is found in the coastal forests of northern and western Madagascar....
(Phaner furcifer) and the Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur
Fat-tailed dwarf lemur
The fat-tailed dwarf lemur , also known as the lesser dwarf lemur, western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, or spiny forest dwarf lemur, is one of the smallest primates. It is endemic to Madagascar....
(Cheirogaleus medius)) has never been demonstrated in Avahi species. The gestation period is four to five months, with births usually coming in September. In the first few months, the young rides on the back of its mother. After approximately six months it is weaned
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
, and can live independently after a year, although it will typically live for another year in proximity to its mother. Overall life expectancy is not known.
On November 11, 2005, a research team that discovered a new species of woolly lemur in 1990 in western Madagascar named the species, Bemaraha Woolly Lemur (Avahi cleesei), after actor John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, in recognition of Cleese's work to save lemurs in the wild. In 2006 a taxonomic revision of eastern avahis based on genetic and morphological analyses led to the identification of two extra species: A. meridionalis and A. peyrierasi. Further taxonomic revision increased the number of species, by adding A. ramanantsoavana and A. betsileo. Finally a new species was discovered in the Masoala peninsula, Moore's Woolly Lemur
Moore's Woolly Lemur
Moore's woolly lemur , or Masoala woolly lemur, is a woolly lemur endemic to Madagascar. It has brown-grey fur and a reddish tail. It is named in honor of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of San Francisco....
(A. mooreorum).
Classification
Nine species are currently recognized:- Eastern Woolly LemurEastern Woolly LemurThe eastern woolly lemur , also known as the eastern avahi or Gmelin's woolly lemur, is a species of woolly lemur native to eastern Madagascar, where it lives in humid forests. This nocturnal animal weighs 1-1.3 kg and reaches a length of 27–29 cm with a tail of 33–37 cm...
, Avahi laniger - Western Woolly LemurWestern Woolly LemurThe western woolly lemur or western avahi is a species of woolly lemur native to western Madagascar, where they live in dry deciduous forests. These nocturnal animals weigh 0.7-0.9 kg. It is a folivorous species....
, Avahi occidentalis - Sambirano Woolly LemurSambirano Woolly LemurThe Sambirano woolly lemur , also known as the Sambirano avahi or Unicolor woolly lemur, is a species of woolly lemur native to western Madagascar....
, Avahi unicolor - Bemaraha Woolly Lemur, Avahi cleesei
- Peyrieras' Woolly LemurPeyrieras' Woolly LemurThe Peyrieras' woolly lemur or Peyrieras' avahi is a species of woolly lemur native to southeastern Madagascar. It weighs about 1 kg....
, Avahi peyrierasi - Southern Woolly LemurSouthern Woolly LemurThe southern woolly lemur , or southern avahi, has been recently recognized as a separate species of woolly lemur in 2006 by Zaramody et al. It is a nocturnal and pair-living species...
, Avahi meridionalis - Ramanantsoavana's Woolly LemurRamanantsoavana's Woolly LemurThe Ramanantsoavana's woolly lemur , also known as Manombo woolly lemur or Ramanantsoavana's avahi, is a species of woolly lemur native to southeastern Madagascar. It weighs about 1 kg. It was originally considered a subspecies of Southern woolly lemur , A. m...
, Avahi ramanantsoavana - Betsileo Woolly LemurBetsileo Woolly LemurThe Betsileo woolly lemur or Betsileo avahi is a species of woolly lemur native to southeastern Madagascar, in the District of Fandriana. It weighs about 1 kg. The pelage differs significantly from other southeastern woolly lemurs in that it is primarily light reddish brown on most of the...
, Avahi betsileo - Moore's Woolly LemurMoore's Woolly LemurMoore's woolly lemur , or Masoala woolly lemur, is a woolly lemur endemic to Madagascar. It has brown-grey fur and a reddish tail. It is named in honor of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of San Francisco....
, Avahi mooreorum
