LemursLemur taxonomy is controversial and complicated.
Experts recognize 50 to almost 100 species or subspecies, divided into 5 families and 15 genera. |
Aye-aye
Genus: daubentonia
Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
The elusive and sorely misunderstood aye-aye, the oldest type of living lemur, is endemic to Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world. Situated off the coast of East Africa, Madagascar is home to an abundance of unique animals and plants...
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Bamboo or Gentle Lemurs
Genus: Hapalemur
Eastern lesser Bamboo Lemur (HAPALEMUR griseuS )CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE
The eastern lesser bamboo lemur, also known as the gray bamboo lemur, the gray gentle lemur, and the Mahajanga lemur, is native to the large island country of Madagascar. Regarded by conservationists as a world biodiversity hot spot—home to...
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Golden Bamboo Lemur (HAPALEMUR ALAOTRENSIS )CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Golden bamboo lemurs, bokombolomena in Malagasy, are endemic to Madagascar, where they live in the southeastern bamboo-laden tropical forests and marshes. They occupy lowland and montane forests and they inhabit primary rainforests within a...
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Lac Alaotra Gentle Lemur (HAPALEMUR ALAOTRENSIS )CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The Lac Alaotra gentle lemur, also known as the bandro and the Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur, lives in the marshes of Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in Madagascar. This species is the only primate in the world that lives primarily in wetlands...
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Brown or "True" Lemurs
genus: eulemur
black lemur (Eulemur macaco)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Black lemurs are found in northwestern Madagascar, near the Mahavavy River in the north and the Andranomalaza River in the southern part of the region. There are other populations on the islands of Nosy Be and Nosy Komba, and in the coastal forests...
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Common Brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus)CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE
Like all lemurs, brown lemurs are endemic to Madagascar—a country approximately 250 miles (400 km) off the coast of East Africa, and the fourth largest island in the world (it is almost twice the size of Arizona). Because the island has been detached from Africa...
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Crowned lemur (Eulemur coronatus)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Crowned lemurs, previously believed to be a sub-species of the mongoose lemur, are endemic to northern Madagascar. Their habitat extends east of the Mahavavy River and into the most northerly point of the African island; they occur anywhere from sea level...
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Red-bellied Lemur (Eulemur rubriventer)CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE
The red-bellied lemur is a species of Eulemur endemic to Madagascar. This primate inhabits a long, narrow strip of intact primary and secondary rainforest along the island’s eastern coast. While the red-bellied lemur's distribution lemur is not well...
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White-Headed Lemur (Eulemur albifrons)CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE
The white-headed lemur, also known as the white-headed brown lemur, white-fronted brown lemur, or white-fronted lemur, is found throughout most of the remaining rainforest in northeastern Madagascar, from the Bemarivo River to the Masoala...
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Dwarf Lemurs
Genus: Cheirogaleus
Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus medius)CONSERVATION STATUS: LEAST CONCERN
The fat-tailed dwarf lemur, also known as the lesser dwarf lemur, western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, or spiny forest dwarf lemur, is endemic to the forests of western and southern Madagascar. They live in at least eight national parks and four nature...
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Geoffroy's Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus major)CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE
Geoffroy's dwarf lemurs are found in northeastern and western central Madagascar. They can be spotted from the southeastern tip to the northeastern tip, with a small population isolated inland in the west-central part of the island. Geoffroy's dwarf...
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Indri
Genus: Indri
Indri (Indri)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
This rare and unique primate is—like all lemurs—endemic to the island of Madagascar. It can be found in the lowland rainforests of the island’s northeast region, notably in the Anjanaharibe-Sud wildlife preserve. Indris are best suited for montane and coastal...
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Mouse Lemurs
Genus: Microcebus
Gerps' Mouse Lemur (MICROCEBUS GERPI)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The Gerp’s mouse lemur is only found in the Sahafina forest and surrounding secondary forests in eastern Madagascar. The region is a mix of dense lowland forest and formerly logged woodlands now in recovery. This area of the island nation is particularly humid...
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gRAY MOUSE LEMUR (Microcebus murinus)CONSERVATION STATUS: LEAST CONCERN
The gray mouse lemur, also known as the lesser mouse lemur, is endemic to Madagascar. They mainly occupy dry deciduous forests from Mahajanga in the northwest to Tulear in the southwest, along most of the west coast. A distinct...
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gRAY-Brown MOUSE LEMUR (Microcebus Griseorufus)CONSERVATION STATUS: LEAST CONCERN
The gray-brown mouse lemur is a prosimian that are found throughout the Toliara province, which spans much of south and southwestern coastline of Madagascar. Prosimians are the most primitive of the primates, and they all live in the Old World...
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Pygmy MOUSE LEMUR (Microcebus myoxinus)CONSERVATION STATUS: VULNERABLE
Originally described in 1858, the pygmy mouse lemur, also known as Peters’ mouse lemur, dormouse lemur, or western rufous mouse lemur, was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in the Kirindy Forest of Madagascar in 1993. Like all lemurs, they are...
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Ring-tailed lemur
Genus: lemur
Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Ring-tailed lemurs are found in the wild only on the geographically isolated African island of Madagascar, along with other lemur species and animals found nowhere else on earth. They are far more ecologically flexible than other lemur species...
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ruffed Lemurs
Genus: Varecia
Black-and-white ruffed Lemur (VARECIA VARIEGATA)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) is endemic to the island of Madagascar. It is sparsely distributed throughout the declining eastern tropical rainforests, from the Antainambalana River to the Mananara River. The black-and...
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Red ruffed Lemur (VARECIA RUBRA)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Ring-tailed lemurs are found in the wild only on the geographically isolated African island of Madagascar, along with other lemur species and animals found nowhere else on earth. They are far more ecologically flexible than other lemur species...
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Sifakas
Genus: Propithecus
Coquerel's Sifaka (PROPITHECUS COQUERELI)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Like all lemurs, the Coquerel’s sifaka (pronounced “shuh–fokk”) is endemic to Madagascar. More specifically, the Coquerel’s sifaka lives in the dry deciduous forests of northwest Madagascar. Each sifaka family sticks to a territory of 10-22 acres...
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Crowned Sifaka (Propithecus coronatus)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The crowned sifaka, not to be confused with the closely related golden-crowned sifaka, is a species of lemur that, like all lemurs, is endemic to the island of Madagascar. This species inhabits the dry deciduous and mangrove forests of the northwest side of...
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DiademED Sifaka (Propithecus diadema)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Like all lemurs, the diademed sifakas (Propithecus diadema) are endemic to Madagascar and live in the eastern and north eastern rainforests of the island, at altitudes between 2,260 - 5,000 ft (800 - 1500 m)...
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Milne-Edwards's Sifaka (PROPITHECUS edwardsi)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Like all species of lemurs, the Milne-Edwards's sifaka, also known as the Milne-Edwards's simpona, is found only on the island of Madagascar. They inhabit both continuous and fragmented primary and secondary rainforests along a strip of...
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Perrier's Sifaka (PROPITHECUS PERRIERI)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
As one of the world’s rarest lemurs and most threatened primates, Perrier’s sifaka makes its home on the island of Madagascar, the only place on the planet where the remaining few hundred individuals of this Critically Endangered species can be found...
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SILKY Sifaka (PROPITHECUS candidus)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Silky sifakas inhabit montane and mid-altitude rainforests. They have a very restricted range in northeastern Madagascar, where they are known locally as simponas. They generally prefer to live at high elevations, greater than 2,625 ft (800 m). However...
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Verreaux's Sifaka (PROPITHECUS deckenii)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Verreaux’s sifakas, like all lemurs, make their home in Madagascar and nowhere else in the world. They live in a wide range of diverse habitats over the southwestern and southern regions of the island. The habitats of these areas vary dramatically from dry...
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(Leaping Verreaux's sifaka .gif video credit: John Surrey/Creative Commons) |
Von der Decken's Sifaka (PROPITHECUS deckenii)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The Von der Decken's sifaka, or simply Decken's sifaka, is one of nine distinct species of sifakas endemic to Madagascar. It and three other species that live on the western half of the island were once considered a subspecies of the Verreaux sifaka (Propithecus...
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sportive lemurs
Genus: Lepilemur
Ankarana Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur ankaranensis)CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
The Ankarana sportive lemur is one of many sportive lemur species endemic to Madagascar. In particular, this little lemur is found in northern Madagascar in the damp evergreen forests and dry lowland forests of Ankarana and Montagne d’Ambre...
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Nosy Be Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur tymerlachsoni)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The Nosy Be Sportive Lemur, also known as Hawks' sportive lemur, lives on the island of Nosy Be in the Lokobe region of Northwestern Madagascar. The species inhabits primary and secondary forests where foliage is lush and dense, and where hollowed tree trunks...
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Sahamalaza Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur sahamalaza)CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The Sahamalaza sportive lemur, also called the Sahamalaza Peninsula Sportive Lemur, is believed to be restricted to the Sahamalaza Peninsula in northwestern Madagascar and inhabits both primary and mature secondary forests. Unfortunately, this area has been...
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