Blue Eyed Lemur
Bridging the gap
When does a lemur reach across the gap between branches and when does it leap? The answer may be related to the flexibility of its spine, says Duke graduate student Michael Granatosky. The theory is that leaping from branch to branch uses more energy than reaching across, so a lemur will try to bridge the...
Tarantino wins one of two Research Lemur of the Year Awards
The following tribute was written by Duke Lemur Center’s Research Manager, Sarah Zehr, Ph.D. All research at the Duke Lemur Center is non-invasive. If the lemurs are even stressed by the research activity, they do NOT have to participate. After a very productive research year, Dr. Zehr picked two lemurs, who had been especially “helpful”...
Overview
The black lemur was the first of these two subspecies (Eulemur macaco macaco and Eulemur macaco flavifrons) to be described and named, so blue-eyed lemurs are regarded as a subspecies of the black lemur. A medium sized lemur (adults can weigh 5 lbs [2.4kg]), blue-eyed lemurs have long tails which are often carried high in...
Feeding
Blue-eyed Lemurs eat ripe fruit, leaves, flowers and occasionally insects. Since the ecology and behavior of the blue-eyed lemur has not been studied in the wild, the feeding information reported here has been obtained from observations of wild populations of black lemurs, but should hold true for the blue-eyed subspecies as well. Groups of black...
Fact Sheet
Order: Primates; Suborder: Prosimii Family: Lemuridae; Genus: Eulemur Species: macaco; Subspecies: flavifrons Related Forms The black lemur (Eulemur macaco macaco) is very similar in life history and behavior but has brown eyes, different fur coloration, and occupies a different habitat. Key Facts Adult Size : 4.4 – 5.3 pounds Social life : Sociable, group sizes...
Reproduction
Blue-eyed lemurs, like all diurnal lemurs, are seasonal breeders. In Madagascar, the breeding season ranges from April to June. In northern hemisphere locations, such as the DLC, most breeding occurs in November and December with births in March and April. During breeding season, both males and females experience physiological changes. By the time the females...
Social Behavior
Blue-eyed lemurs have not been studied extensively in the wild, so little is known about their behavior outside of captivity. Most of the following information was recorded for black lemurs, but it is assumed that it will also be correct for blue-eyed lemurs. They are reported to live in social groups of between 7 and...
Habitat/Conservation
Blue-eyed lemurs are found south of the Sambirano region in northwest Madagascar. Pure populations are found south of the Andranomalaza River near Moromandia and east to the Sandrakota River near Befotaka. Researchers have recently discovered a hybrid zone in the far northern part of its range, where Eulemur macaco macaco might breed with Eulemur macaco...
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