Madagascar lemurs. Lemurs - interesting facts Facts about Madagascar

Ring-tailed lemur (other names ring-tailed lemur, lemur catta) is the most popular species of the lemur family. Ring-tailed lemur is a member of the order Primates. In Madagascar, the ring-tailed lemur is nicknamed maquis. Lemurs are very cute, funny and kind animals. Below you will find a description and photo of the lemur, as well as learn a lot of interesting things about this unusual and mysterious animal.

What does a lemur look like?

Lemur looks like a slender animal and is comparable in size to a cat. The body length of the ring-tailed lemur varies from 38 to 45 cm. The lemur looks rather unusual. The main pride of the ring-tailed lemur is its long tail, which is painted in black and white stripes. The animal lemur has a tail 60 cm long, on which there are approximately 13 black and white stripes. The lemur looks somewhat mystical, due to its unusual coloration and huge yellow eyes.

Lemur looks quite fluffy, because he has a thick coat. The ring-tailed lemur's back is gray in color, sometimes pinkish brown. The paws of the ring-tailed lemur are also colored gray, the head and neck are dark gray. Lemur looks contrasting, due to the combination of shades in which his coat is dyed. The belly and paws on the inside of the ring-tailed lemur are white. On the white muzzle, the lemur catta has dark triangular spots around the eyes and a black nose.

Lemur looks so long-tailed for a reason. The lemur's tail serves him faithfully all his life. With the help of the tail ring-tailed lemurs communicate with their relatives. Also, the tail allows them to keep balance when climbing and jumping trees, even on the thinnest branches. Lemur looks graceful, because he is very mobile and flexible. Another animal lemur uses its tail as a diffuser of odors. Lemur catta weighs 3.5 kg, while its tail can weigh more than 1.5 kg of the total weight of the animal. It is because of its tail that the animal lemur was called the ring-tailed lemur.

Where do lemurs live and how?

Lemurs live in Madagascar. On this island, the lemur lives almost everywhere. In Madagascar, lemurs live occupying the territory from Fort Dauphine to Monradov. A small number of lemurs live in the Andringitra mountains. Lemurs live in forests and dry open areas.

Among all other lemur species, it is the ring-tailed lemur that spends most of its time on earth. This is due to the fact that lemurs are adapted to live in an arid environment. Animal lemur is active mainly in the dark. Ring-tailed lemurs are very social animals. Therefore, lemurs live in groups of 20-30 individuals. In each of these groups, a strict hierarchy and unquestioning matriarchy reign. The leading female has the primacy in the choice of food and partner.

Each group has its own territory, which can range from 6 to 23 hectares. Males have sharp fingertips, with which they scratch the bark of young trees. Thus, males mark the boundaries of the territory, because on the paws there are glands that impregnate the bark with a pungent odor. To strangers, the animal lemur shows aggression.

Lemurs go around their property every day in search of food. After the meal, they usually clean their own coats. When an animal lemur moves on the ground, it uses all four paws. Ring-tailed lemurs have good eyesight and developed fingers with flat nails, which makes it easier to forage for food and move through the branches of trees. Resting and sleeping lemur catta on the trees.

Ring-tailed lemurs are very fond of the sun and willingly enjoy its warmth. Animal lemur loves to sunbathe. During such procedures, he takes an unusual pose and sits with his paws apart. From the outside, it may seem that the lemur catta is meditating. This posture is very unusual for the animal world.

In social behavior, the tail of lemurs plays a very important role. When the ring-tailed lemur walks on the ground, it holds its tail upright with particular pride so that it can be better seen. The reason for such pride is also the fact that the tail helps the males in the "stinky fight". They lubricate the tail with a special secret, after which they expose it towards the enemy. This is how all disputes about ranks in the social hierarchy are resolved and the territory is protected from strangers.

The ring-tailed lemur is the most common, compared to other lemurs. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature defines it as an endangered species. Currently, the population of ring-tailed lemurs is declining.

The main threats to ring-tailed lemurs are hunting and deprivation of natural habitats. In addition, the animal lemur has a main enemy in Madagascar. This is the fossa beast, it is also called the Madagascar lion.

What does a lemur eat?

Basically, the lemur eats fruit. Therefore, we can say that the ring-tailed lemur is a vegetarian. In addition, lemurs feed on leaves and flowers, as well as herbaceous plants.

Lemur even eats cacti and occasionally insects. Lemurs often look for food on the ground, but they always try to stay close to trees so that in case of danger they can hide on them. Lemur catta is very cautious.

The mating season for ring-tailed lemur falls at the end of winter and early spring. At this time, male lemurs arrange truly acrobatic shows on the branches of trees and fight each other with the "stink" of their glands. Animal lemur brings offspring annually. The ring-tailed lemur becomes capable of reproducing offspring at the age of 2-2.5 years. But in its younger years, the animal lemur has fierce competition with older males. Therefore, young male lemur katta will have a chance to acquire offspring only by the age of 5 years.

The ring-tailed lemur has only 1 cub and only occasionally twins are found. A lemur cub is born in August-October. The gestation period for the lemur katta is approximately 220 days. A born lemur cub has a weight of 80 to 120 grams.

Immediately after birth, the lemur cub clings to the mother's fur and hangs on it. For the first few months, females carry their babies on their stomachs, later the baby lemur moves onto their backs.

Already at 2 months old, the lemur cub decides to leave its mother's back for the first time to take short walks. But he still goes back to his mother to eat and sleep. Up to 5 months, the female feeds her cub with milk.

By 6 months, the lemur cub becomes independent. Ring-tailed lemurs can live to almost 40 years, but under conditions wildlife this rarely happens.

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To the question What is the behavior of ring-tailed lemurs? given by the author ¤ Elena ¤ the best answer is Ring-tailed lemur or ring-tailed lemur (lat. Lemur catta) - the most known species from the lemur family. This species belongs to a separate genus, although many experts place it in the genera Eulemur or Hapalemur. Belongs to the suborder of wet-nosed primates. The Madagascar name for ring-tailed lemur is maquis.
Ring-tailed lemurs live in herds organized according to the type of higher
primates, multi-male communities.
The superfamily of Madagascar lemurs is the most adapted group of lower primates. They appeared in the Pleistocene. Unlike most nocturnal lemur species, katta is a comparatively diurnal form.
This typical representative of prosimians is also called ring-tailed lemur, because it is the size of a cat, covered with bluish-gray hair (it is this color of its soft and dense fur that prevails, although transitions to ash-gray or rusty-red tones are possible), muzzle, ears and the belly is whitish, the tip of the muzzle and the circumference of the eyes are black, it has a pair of lemon yellow eyes and a long tail, beautifully decorated with black and white
rings. He even screams, similar to a cat's meow! But this is where the similarities end: catta, like many other prosimia, is a vegetarian.
Ring-tailed lemurs are macrosmatics (they have a well-developed sense of smell, there are two lobes of the olfactory brain). The nose is built according to the haplorin type. They live in a world of smells, using them to communicate. Katta has three pairs of musk glands: one is located on the inside of the wrists and opens through horny spikes, the other is on the chest, near the armpits, and the third is the anal glands near the genitals. With the help of glands, males and, to a lesser extent, females literally erect a barrier of smells around them. From
an animal separates from a group wandering through the forest, approaches a tree, sniffs it, finding out who has been here before it, then turns its back to the tree, lowers itself on its front paws, and lifts its back part as high as possible and rubs against the trunk with anal glands. Very often, even two minutes do not pass, as this tree is marked by another individual.
Male katta use the smell not only to leave autographs, but also as a weapon. When the male prepares for a duel with an opponent, he rubs the axillary glands with his wrists, passes his fluffy tail between his legs, presses it to his chest and pulls it between his wrists so that it is abundantly saturated with secretions of the glands. Armed in this way, the rivals, standing in front of each other on all fours, straighten their hind legs and thrash with luxurious overdressed tails on their own backs, directing the wave
smell towards the enemy.
Due to their diurnal lifestyle, ring-tailed lemurs have relatively small diurnal eyes. Although katta are active during the day, their eyes have a reflective layer behind the retina that enhances the ability to see in the weakest light. Vision is not stereoscopic, but sensitive to color. The accuracy of perception of surrounding objects allows them to determine the degree of ripeness of fruits and the freshness of leaves, as well as to detect in the thicket the presence of other animals that would go unnoticed in a monochrome world. Color for monkeys is also a means of communication - these are the most brightly colored animals of all mammals in the world!
Tactile sensitivity is well developed - lemurs have the so-called "tactile skin", which allows them to "see with their hands." On the palmar surface, a scallop relief is expressed - alternation of depressions and elevations, papillary patterns are primitive, rectilinear.
Manipulation of inedible objects in lemurs is much better developed than in other prosimians. Such games with objects are regarded as an important pre-adaptation for the development of intelligence. Source: .

Answer from MORBID[guru]
This species belongs to a separate genus, although many experts place it in the genera Eulemur or Hapalemur. Belongs to the suborder of wet-nosed primates. The Madagascar name for ring-tailed lemur is maquis. Of all lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs spend the most time on the ground, which is an adaptation to a partially arid environment. Ring-tailed lemurs are active during the daytime and lead a very social lifestyle. They are found in groups of 20 to 30 individuals. Within the groups, a strict hierarchy reigns, the leaders are mainly females. They have the pre-emptive right in choosing food and a partner. While females usually stay in the groups they were born into, males repeatedly move to new groups. The family group covers an area of ​​15 to 57 acres. Every day, lemurs walk around their territory in search of food. They show aggression towards strangers. Ring-tailed lemurs willingly sit in the sun and enjoy its warmth, spreading their arms to the sides.

Answer from Balance[guru]
Behavior Of all lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs spend the most time on the ground, which is an adaptation to a partially arid environment. Ring-tailed lemurs are active during the daytime and lead a very social lifestyle. They are found in groups of 20 to 30 individuals. Within the groups, a strict hierarchy reigns, the leaders are mainly females. They have the pre-emptive right in choosing food and a partner. While females usually stay in the groups they were born into, males repeatedly move to new groups. The family group covers an area of ​​15 to 57 acres. Every day, lemurs walk around their territory in search of food. They show aggression towards strangers. Ring-tailed lemurs willingly sit in the sun and enjoy its warmth, spreading their arms to the sides.

Answer from User deleted[guru]
Miss Justice switched to animals? So it’s better: among your own people it’s always calmer))

Ring-tailed lemur on Wikipedia
Check out the wikipedia article on ring-tailed lemur

Lemurs are amazingly beautiful animals that belong to the row of wet-nosed primates. There are more than 100 species of these animals. The species united in 5 families have common characteristics and individual characteristics. It's about about size, color, habits and way of life. Consider where lemurs live.

IN ancient Greek mythology lemurs were called ghosts walking around at night. Later, this name was assigned to small animals with massive eyes that terrified the inhabitants.

According to history, in ancient times, huge lemurs lived on the territory of the island state. The weight of which often reached the mark of two hundred kilograms. Today there are no such giants among lemurs.

The short-tailed indri is the largest species. They grow up to 60 cm in length and weigh about 7 kg. There are crumbs among these primates. Pygmy mouse lemurs grow up to 20 cm in length and weigh no more than 50 grams. Consider other features of these mammals.

• The lemur has a dense, elongated body and a small, rounded head with an elongated, pointed mouth. On the sides of the oral cavity there are several pairs of vibrissae responsible for touch.
• The lemur has large, close-set, saucer-like eyes. The eyes are surrounded by a dark stripe of wool, providing the effect of painted eyes. Therefore, the expression of the animal, even in a calm state, is something between fright and surprise.
• The rows of primate teeth have a non-standard structure. The incisors located on the upper jaw are set wide. From below, the incisors are in close proximity to the canines and tilt forward, providing a "tooth comb" effect.
• These mammals have grasping limbs with five fingers. The toes have nails except for the second toe. It is equipped with a long claw used by the animal for hygienic purposes.
• All lemurs have thick fur. In some species, it has a gray-brown color, in others it is black and white, in others it is red-brown. A special color is inherent in the ring-tailed lemur. Wide black and white stripes cover its long, spiraling tail.
• A fluffy, long, luxurious tail is a distinctive feature of the lemur, which plays an important role in life. With the help of the tail, animals communicate and maintain balance when jumping. Only in the short-tailed indri, despite the impressive size of the body, the length of the tail does not exceed 5 cm.

I think by now you are convinced that this wonderful animal has a truly exotic appearance. It is not surprising that lemurs arouse a frantic interest in mankind.

Habitat and habits of lemurs

In nature, lemurs are found on the territory of Madagascar and the Comoros. In ancient times, primates inhabited the islands completely, but over the years, the distribution area has been reduced, and now they live exclusively in wooded area. Today, many species are listed in the Red Book, so animals need protection and gentle treatment from humanity. Now about lifestyle.

1. Primates spend most of their time in trees. Using the tail as a balancer, they quickly and deftly move from branch to branch. Lemurs rest on trees, bask in the sun and even breed. If the animal is on the ground, it still jumps using 4 limbs.
2. They sleep on branches, clasping the tree with their feet and forelimbs. Some build shelters resembling a bird's hollow. During the rest in such a dwelling, you can find up to 15 sleeping individuals.
3. Almost all species of lemurs are social animals living on their territory. They live in family groups of up to 25 individuals, in which a strict hierarchy prevails. The female is at the head of the group. Endowed with power, she has several advantages regarding food and is the first to choose a partner with an offensive mating season.
4. There are features in the process of reproduction. At a time, the female gives birth to one baby, who is born after 222 days from the moment of conception. During the first 2 months, the tenacious cub hangs on the mother's wool. Later small primate makes independent sorties, and becomes completely independent at the age of six months.
5. The number of females and males in the flock is approximately equal. Young females after puberty remain in the maternal flock, and males often move to other families. Although lemurs are social animals, loners and couples living separately are not uncommon.
6. The area of ​​the territory belonging to one family often reaches 80 hectares. Members of the herd mark the boundaries of possessions with urine and secrets, aggressively and stubbornly guarding against encroachment by strangers. The marking of the site lies on the shoulders of all members of the family. Primates make deep scratches on the bark of trees with their claws and mark with the fragrant secretion of the glands.
7. To communicate, lemurs use grunting sounds or a shrill cry. Some species with the onset of a dry period fall into a cordon. Being in a state of low activity, the animal's body uses the stored fat.
8. Lemurs are considered long-lived. IN natural environment they live up to 35 years. At home, they often live longer if the owner provides the animal with proper care and proper nutrition.

Video information

The behavior, as well as the way of life of lemurs, fully corresponds to their unique and interesting appearance. It's hard to believe that these amazing little animals scare the inhabitants of the islands they inhabit to death.

How and what do lemurs eat

Lemur is a herbivorous primate. However, nutrition largely depends on the type of mammal. The main part of the diet is represented by fruits, tree leaves, flowers, young shoots, tree bark and seeds.

The bamboo and golden lemurs eat the shoots and leaves of bamboo, while the ring-tailed lemur prefers the fruit of the Indian date. Indri eat exclusively plant foods, and in addition to coconuts, insect larvae are included in the diet of mittens from Madagascar. The dwarf lemur has the most versatile diet. This animal willingly eats plant pollen, resin, nectar, larvae and tiny insects.

Food of animal origin in the diet of the lemur plays a secondary role. Most often, beetles, praying mantises, moths, crickets, cockroaches and spiders fall on the table. The diet of the gray mouse lemur also contains small chameleons and tree frogs. The dwarf species does not mind feasting on small birds. It is noteworthy that representatives of the Indri species, in addition to plant foods, consume earth, which neutralizes the effects of toxic substances contained in plants.

The diet of a lemur cannot be called particularly nutritious, so individuals devote a lot of time to rest. If we talk about nutrition in the zoo, the animal quickly gets used to any food. The primate grabs food with its teeth or takes it with its forelimbs and sends it to the oral cavity.

Lemurs from the cartoon "Madagascar"

In 2005, the animated film Madagascar was released on the wide screen. The picture quickly gained popularity in the world. One of the main characters of the cartoon was a lemur named Julian.

Julian is a ring-tailed lemur. In its natural environment, this animal lives in Madagascar. In body size and walking, accompanied by a highly held tail, the primate strongly resembles a cat.

It is noteworthy that the ring-tailed lemur has exactly thirteen stripes on its tail. This is his calling card.

In nature, ring-tailed lemurs start the day with a sunbath. They sit comfortably and warm the abdomen in the sun. At the end of the procedure, they go to breakfast. They eat fruits, leaves, flowers, cacti and insects.

In nature, lemurs of this species are often found. However, the species is in danger of extinction. According to statistics, only 50,000 individuals live on the planet, so the ring-tailed lemur was listed in the Red Book.

Ring-tailed lemur has recently been a favorite of tourists visiting Madagascar.

Where do lemurs live in captivity

Many species of lemurs from Madagascar are endangered. This is the merit of humanity, which is actively destroying the natural habitats of these primates. Still animals are actively caught for the subsequent resale. This is due to the increasing popularity of breeding as a pet.

In many countries of the world, lemurs are bred in special nurseries, the living conditions in which are as close as possible to natural environment. There are similar institutions in Russia, but there are few of them, since breeding lemurs is a costly and troublesome task, like breeding penguins.

Is it possible to keep a lemur at home?

Lemurs are easily tamed. These small primates are docile and non-aggressive, which is why they are so popular with exotic animal breeders. In order for the animal to be comfortable in a house or apartment, it is recommended to provide proper conditions before purchasing a pet.

• To keep a lemur at home, you will need a spacious cage or a large terrarium. In the house, it does not hurt to install tree branches or several artificial vines.
• The bottom of the dwelling is recommended to be covered with dry sawdust. The filler will often have to be changed, since it will not work to accustom a primate to a tray, unlike a kitten. Lack of regular cleaning in the terrarium will lead to the appearance of an unpleasant odor.
• In the lemur's abode, a small box with cotton wool or dry grass will not interfere. This place will serve as a bedroom for relaxation or a comfortable pastime. A small drinker is also needed.

The lemur has a thick coat, but despite this, he does not like drafts. It is recommended to take this into account when choosing a place for arranging the abode of an exotic pet.

Lemurs are most active in the evening and at night, so it is better to feed the animal at this time. The diet should include a variety of foods. We are talking about boiled beets and potatoes, white cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers and radishes, fruits, cereals, boiled meat and bakery products.

Lemurs also like sweets. Include nuts, honey and dried fruits in your diet. Periodically pamper the animals with crickets, cockroaches or mealworms. Insects are sold in pet stores.

Lemurs are included in the category of non-conflict animals and easily get along with dogs and cats. With proper care, the pet will not break, gnaw or break anything. Problems can only appear with cornices and curtains - lemurs like to climb higher and watch events from a height.

In Madagascar there are no monkeys, ungulates (except for the brush-eared pig, now extinct hippos and feral bulls), no rhinoceroses, elephants, predators (except for several species of viverras), hares, real rats and mice, some reptiles (for example, agamas and monitor lizards), many African birds.

But there are local ones that do not live anywhere else, as they say, endemics. First of all (besides chameleons, of which there are 35 species!) these are lemurs: two-fifths of all Madagascar mammals. The rest, almost three-fifths, are tanrecs. Golden bats are one species representing a special family, also only Madagascar. Total: five endemic animal families - three prosimians, one tanrek and one golden bats. Four endemic bird families, two subfamilies of frogs, one python, and two iguana genera known to be found only in South America, apart from one more genus in the Fiji Islands.

Similarities with the fauna of distant continents are demonstrated not only by these huge lizards, iguanas, but also by frogs typical of the Indo-Malay region, rodents related to the American ones, tanrecs - "cousins" of the Antilles flint teeth, and, finally, the lemurs themselves, which, apart from Africa, found in very remote South Asian countries.

How could such a zoological cocktail come together in Madagascar?

The most probable explanation: once all these now distant islands and continents were connected by land. This alleged giant continent, 150 million years ago, combining Africa with Madagascar, South America, Australia, South Asia and, possibly, Antarctica, is called Gondwana or Gondvania. It split, forming the modern continents and islands. The first to sail to the southeast was Australia and, apparently, Antarctica. The sea began to advance on that region of Gondwana, which is now flooded by the Indian Ocean. But a significant part of the continent connected Africa with Asia through the islands of Madagascar, Comoros, Amirante, Maldives, Laccadive and others. It is often called Lemuria, since, perhaps, this mainland served as the center for the development of lemurs. And to this day, the largest number of their species has been preserved in Madagascar, this "trembling heart" of the lost Gondwana. Madagascar was connected to Africa a very long time ago and, apparently, once again during the ice age through a chain of intermediate islands (Comoros and others). Then, probably, hippos, later extinct here, and bushy pigs moved to it.

All Madagascar semi-monkeys are from the infraorder Lemuriformes. Three families: true lemurs (16 species, of which 6 pygmy lemurs), indri (4 species), arms (1 species).

All real lemurs have lush, long, monochrome tails. Only the catta tail is streaked with transverse black and white rings. There are five more species in the genus of real lemurs, all live on trees, and katta lives on the ground and generally avoids forests and trees, preferring the rocky regions of Southern Madagascar to them. His way of life is predominantly diurnal, as, indeed, in other representatives of his genus, except for the vari lemur, which, it seems, is also the only one of them who builds nests.

The tail of the katta is the main informational organ: like a black and white striped flag, pulled up, it excites the companions of the katta. When katta points his "flag" in their direction, they purr, meow with satisfaction. But usually the beginning of the "interview" is preceded by aromatization of the tail. Bending it under him and passing it under his belly between all four paws, katta presses the end of the tail to internal parties right and left forearm. Rubs on glands marked with horny spines. Having perfumed his tail, he first raises it above his head and, waving it, as if blowing the fragrance acquired by the tail, squeaks, purrs, meows plaintively.

This is followed by rather mysterious manipulations, the meaning of which is not yet entirely clear.

Standing on its hind legs, katta brings the tail forward and, bending either the right or the left front hand to it, again rubs the tail with them. Picks up leaves, pieces of bark from the ground and, pressing them to the same glands, rubs them with sharp movements. Then it rubs against the branches with the glands of the forearms, armpits and anal glands, which the katta also has.

Obviously, this is how he marks the boundaries of his revere. But tail chafing is less understandable. If this is "cosmetics", wool lubrication, then why only the hair of the tail?

Katta walks along the ground, elegantly bending its chic tail over its back. Wild bananas and figs are eaten carefully so as not to stain the fur. Taking it in its paws, it peels off the peel with its teeth, and then, throwing its head back so that the juice flows directly into the mouth and does not stain the fur, it eats the peeled fruit. He likes to bask, "sunbathe" in the sun, sitting on a stone and spreading his four limbs and tail wide apart. The jumps of the animal are graceful and excellent: it jumps three meters up like a rubber ball, without difficulty.

All lemurs somehow mark the boundaries of their possessions. Some do it like galagos and tupai, others do it differently. For example, the black lemur. He has many sweat glands on his palms and wrists, and he diligently rubs tree branches with his paws.

Each flock of black lemurs has its own feeding territories. If neighbors violate them, all legitimate owners immediately rush to protect their borders. Noise, screams, bickering are common in such border conflicts. But overnight stays, always on the same certain place, many of these groups, who were at war with each other during the day, have common ones. Each flock comes there in its own way, announcing the forests with wild cries along the way, and leaves at dawn by the same way. A white-bearded female of the highest rank walks in front, followed by all the others in single file. The pace of movement of the column either speeds up or slows down; stragglers, and there will always be such, shout angrily, demanding to wait for them. Babies usually fall behind. And with the kids, everyone in the flock is gentle and caring. Whether they are their own, whether they are strangers - they are caressed, licked, combed.

Because of the white-whiskered females, a zoological misunderstanding happened. The males of these lemurs are brown-black, and the females are red with a white mustache, or rather sideburns. At first, they decided that both of them were animals of different species.

Black, or macaque, lemurs jump through the trees with eight-meter jumps and rush through the foliage like birds! When are they being persecuted? predator birds, black lemurs escape like moths fleeing the echo direction of bats: they fall down from the height of a tree, rush through the lower branches and undergrowth like lightning, then along the ground through the thick of bushes to a distant tree and further along the peaks.

Nine tenths of Madagascar's forests have been destroyed by logging. This threatens the death of many species of lemurs. The dwarf upland lemur already seems to be extinct. The same fate awaits, apparently, in the near future the lemur vari.

The lemur is interesting. He has lush sideburns and a thick collar around his neck. And the wool is surprisingly dense for a tropical dweller, so dense that torrential streams do not penetrate it. It is painted very beautifully: some races have piebald, black and white fur, others have red and black. Lives in tall forests in the north of the island.

Vari is the only nocturnal animal in the genus of true lemurs. And the only one who builds nests. The female, before the cubs are born, tears the wool on her sides and lines the nest with it. The mother wears the baby like a belt across the abdomen, later on the back.

He does not part with her for a long time. But the two-month-old is already jumping and playing with his father.

Vari, like katta, purrs, meows when his peace of mind is not disturbed. But, excited or frightened, he utters such terrible and deafening cries that a chill runs through the skin even of a distant listener. When the Wari suddenly decide to scream in zoos, troubles happen to nervous visitors. In the wild mountain forests, the choir cries of the Vari, amplified by repeated echoes, sound especially eerie.

For these heartbreaking cries and the manner of basking in the morning sun with outstretched arms and a muzzle turned to the sun (in a prayerful pose), the Malagasy used to consider this half-monkey a sacred sun-worshipper. They were afraid and did not offend the vari. And they are accustomed not to be afraid of people. Nowadays, civilization and education have freed many from old superstitions, and the Varis have lost their age-old "protection letter". So strangely and differently depends the well-being or death of animals on the ancient belief of man in the supernatural.

So far, we have been talking about Madagascar semi-monkeys from the subfamily of true lemurs. In the latter, in addition to the genera of lemurs and hapolemurs, there is one or two more species of "frisky" lemurs from the genus Lepilemurs. Frisky lemurs are interesting in that they will say standing up in the trees, like a soldier. Pushing off the branches only with straightened hind legs and balancing with arms and tail outstretched to the sides (I’ll also say looking ahead, the indris also jump). Lepi-lemurs do such acrobatics at night, so it is impossible to see these circus numbers. But recently in Madagascar they did a great study of lemurs and examined all this through a telescope in infrared light.

The newborn lepilemur cub is so weak that for the first days he cannot hold on to his mother, and she carries him in her mouth.

In the family of real lemurs, but in the subfamily of dwarfs, there are six more species, and among them the smallest of the primates is the mouse lemur.

He is with big mouse. Gray above, white below, on the muzzle along the bridge of the nose white stripe. night animal, feeds on insects, some fruits. During the day, he sleeps in hollows, lining them with leaves. o Often builds bird-like nests of twigs in the forks of trees and lines them with wool.

And one more thing: the mouse lemur stores fat and in the hot dry season of the year, from July to September, sleeps without waking up day or night.

Newborn babies (two or three in one litter) are so tiny - a thousand times smaller than a human. The mother carries the babies, grabbing the skin on her side with her teeth, and they never hang on it either from below or on the back.

The indriev family is special. It has four types: indri, diadem sifaka, sifaka Verro and avagi.

The largest is the indri when standing on its hind legs - 93 centimeters. But he has a tiny tail. All Madagascar lemurs have long tails. Long and all other indriyas (although almost without muscles and therefore seem to be useless). There are also black indris, and almost white ones, but usually a combination of tones like that of a Siamese cat: beige with dark brown. The muzzle is hairless, black. The throat sac is connected to the larynx. Obviously, this is a resonator; Indri's voice is powerful, "with mournful intonations and harmonious modulations." In his cries one can hear both human cries of anguish and horror, and something canine, which is why they called him " forest dog". And "indri" - due to a misunderstanding: from the Malgash "indri izyu" ("like this"). The exclamation, irrelevant to the case, was taken for local name animal.

Indri nickname "amboanala" ("forest dog") old legend He also explains this: in the old days, it was as if they tamed the indri for hunting birds. There are many legends about him in Madagascar: both the fact that he is a human brother, and the fact that it is dangerous to hunt him. Firstly, because the thrown spear grabs the indri on the fly and immediately accurately throws it at the hunter. Secondly, he is a sun worshiper. At sunrise, in the morning hours, indri and sifaka, turning to the east and raising their hands to the sky, bask in the rays of the sun. The pose in the human eye is prayerful, hence the superstitious fear of imaginary priests of the sun.

The sifaka's muzzle is elongated and hairless, like that of the indri, but the tail is long and the ears are small, hidden in the wool. The coloration is changeable, with yellow, red, white tones. The sifakas have a better developed patagium than all the indrians: elongated skin on the sides of the arms up to the armpits and chest. This is the rudiment of a parachute, which we see in perfect form in flying squirrels and other gliding animals.

The avagi is in general similar to the sifaka, but smaller, the muzzle is rounded and overgrown with hair, as if the avagi, the only one in its family, is always unshaven. Brownish-gray with a red tail. Nocturnal animal, other indriyas are diurnal.

All four are vegetarians. Everyone jumps up the trees, like lepilmurs, vertically, pushing off and clinging after the jump only with their hind legs with such force that sifakas, for example, often fly ten meters. They climb, calmly moving their paws. They hop on the ground on their hind legs, arms outstretched in front of them. Jumps are great - four meters!

In the northeast and in some places in the northwest, in the surviving dense forests and bamboo jungles of Madagascar, ay-ay lives. In Russian, they also call him an arm, although "needleworker" would be more suitable.

Here he woke up at sunset. He got out of the hollow and the first thing, as usual with lemurs, is combing his hair. He diligently cleans his black fur, and his ears, and eyes, and nose. His fingers are surprisingly long, and the third is especially thin, as if shrunken, it seems that only long, long bones remained in it. With the third finger, the handle and cleans.

Having finished this business, he jumps through the trees. He finds an old tree eaten by beetle larvae, and with a dry finger taps on the bark, like a woodpecker with its beak. He knocks and, putting his big sensitive ears to the trunk, listens: will there be a void somewhere under the bark, will the stupid fat larva give itself away with cowardly fuss?

As soon as this happens, ay-ay immediately puts his amazing teeth into action. He has them like a squirrel: there are no fangs, and there are only two incisors above and below. And the incisors are just like those of a rodent: without roots, they grow all their lives. Enamel is only on the front, there is no enamel on the back, and therefore the teeth are self-sharpening. Because of them, it was believed before that aye-aye is closer to rodents than to primates. Established for him one special detachment. But the famous English biologist Richard Owen, having studied the milk teeth of the arm, found that, by all indications, these are the teeth of a primate. They change a lot with age. And they change because the little arm, although not a rodent, needs teeth to gnaw.

So, having established the exact location of the branched passages of bark beetles, ah-ah gnaws at the bark. Having bitten a hole in it, he sticks a long third finger into the hole and extracts the larva.

He eats ah-ah sugar cane, gnaws at strong coconut shells, mangrove fruits. And give him an egg, so he will gnaw a neat hole in it, then with the same irreplaceable finger, without breaking the shell, he will extract the yellow-white contents in parts and eat it.

Do you know how he drinks ah-ah? Finger. He quickly dips it into the water: dip it and suck it, dip it and suck it.

Skillful, similar to squirrel-like balls-nests (half a meter in diameter) ai-ai weaves from the leaves of a very famous palm tree "Travelers Tree" and strengthens with dry branches.

People are not very afraid and often, instead of running, they scratch and bite. For centuries it was guarded by human superstitions. To kill an arm, the old belief claimed, means signing a death sentence for yourself, which will come into force no later than six months later. If a man falls asleep in the forest, and the little arm sees him, he will build him a pillow from branches. If, upon waking up, a person finds a pillow under his head, he will be rich. If underfoot, he will soon die, unfortunate.

But much has changed in Madagascar, and, most importantly, the forests in which the little hands lived are being cut down. Animals are very rare, dying out. True, the government of the Malgash Republic decided to save the little hands. A small island off the northeast coast of Madagascar has been allocated for their residence.

"Before 1966, nine bats were relocated there. Of course, these are only the first measures that should ensure the salvation of the species" (Dr. Kurt Kollar).