Sportive lemur
From Freepedia
| Sportive lemurs | ||||||||||||||
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| Image:Lepilemur ruficaudatus.jpg Red-tailed Sportive Lemur (L. ruficaudatus) | ||||||||||||||
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| Lepilemur mustelinus I. Geoffroy | ||||||||||||||
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Lepilemur mustelinus |
The sportive lemurs are the medium sized primates that make up the Lepilemuridae family. The family consists of only one extant genus, Lepilemur, as well as the extinct genus Megaladapis. They are closely related to the other lemurs and exclusively live on the island of Madagascar. For a time, this family was named Megaladapidae, but the current name was given precedence.
Their fur is grey brown or reddish colored on the top and whitish yellow underneath. They typically have a short head large, round ears. They grow to a length of 30 to 35 cm (with a tail just about as long as their body) and weigh up to 0.9 kg.
Sportive lemurs are strictly nocturnal and predominantly arboreal, moving among the trees with long jumps powered by their strong hind legs. On the ground, they hop similarly as the kangaroos. During the day they hide in the leafy covering or tree hollows. Sportive lemurs are solitary but defend their territory vehemently against same sex intruders. The territories of males and females can overlap.
They are mainly herbivores and their diet consists predominantly of leaves.
Birthing happens between September and December after a gestation of 120 to 150 days, and is usually of a single young which is often reared in a nest in a tree hollow. At about four months the juveniles are weaned but remain with their mother up to an age of one year. At about 18 months they are fully mature, and live to be about eight years old.
Classification
- ORDER PRIMATES
- Suborder Strepsirrhini: non-tarsier prosimians
- Family Cheirogaleidae: dwarf and mouse lemurs
- Family Lemuridae: lemurs
- Family Lepilemuridae: sportive lemurs
- (Genus Megaladapis): extinct
- Genus Lepilemur
- Weasel Lemur, Lepilemur mustelinus
- Small-toothed Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur microdon
- White-footed Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur leucopus
- Red-tailed Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur ruficaudatus
- Milne-Edwards's Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur edwardsi
- Back-striped Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur dorsalis
- Northern Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur septentrionalis
- Ankarana Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur ankaranensis
- Family Indridae: woolly lemurs and allies
- Family Daubentoniidae: Aye-aye
- Family Lorisidae: lorises, pottos and allies
- Family Galagidae: galagos
- Suborder Haplorrhini: tarsiers, monkeys and apes
- Suborder Strepsirrhini: non-tarsier prosimians
Possible new species:
- Seal's Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur seali
- Mitsinjo Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur mitsinjonensis
