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Lemurs are the most endangered mammals on Earth
about
Duke Lemur Center
Founded in 1966 on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC, the Duke Lemur Center is a world leader in the study, care, and protection of lemurs—Earth’s most threatened group of mammals.
With more than 200 animals across 13 species, the DLC houses the world’s most diverse population of lemurs outside their native Madagascar.
Our Mission
To advance science, scholarship, and biological conservation through non-invasive research, community-based conservation, and public outreach and education.
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There's nothing more satisfying than finding that perfect patch of sun... ☀️
Whether they're on the steps of a building in their enclosure, high up in the trees, or even seated on a patch of gravel, our ring-tailed lemurs love to extend their arms and catch some rays. This sunbathing, or "sun worshiping" as it's sometimes called, is a form of thermoregulation—by exposing as much of their chests and bellies to the sun as possible, our lemurs are warming themselves up just by basking. While many of our lemur species engage in this sunbathing behavior, the ring-tailed lemurs are famous for it! 😎
In case you're curious, today's models are Fritz (1,4,6), Sophia (2,7), Randy (3,7), Nemesis (5,7), Narcissa (6), and Nyx (7)
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
7 CommentsComment on Facebook
Sun worshipers!! I get it love to catch the autumn rays too!! So Prescious!
Winter sun lovely. I done the same this afternoons
These are the BEST photos! ☀️
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Enjoy an adorable #tbt of Fancy Clancy 🤩
This three-year-old mongoose lemur has been bold, brash, and mischievous since birth! Unlike most male lemurs, Clancy is unafraid to stand up to dominant female Maddie. Luckily for him, momma Maddie has a soft spot for her (not-so) baby boy and lets him get away with stealing snacks right from under her nose. With those big eyes and comically long canine teeth, it's no surprise that this charming male is so beloved among volunteers and staff members alike 🧡
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Such a handsome character 💕
Fancy Chancey is beautiful.
Happy #tongueouttuesday from the queen of bleps, Kidman 😝
This 30-year-old female blue-eyed black lemur free-ranges in one of our forest enclosures with geriatric companion Cardinal and ring-tailed lemurs Sophia, Randy, Nemesis, and Nyx. While her vision may not be as sharp as it used to be, Kidman's spirit for adventure has never waned! 💙
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
7 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎊🎉🎁🎂🎈and many many more Hope you had a wonderful day What a cutie pie
Kidman, you are a gorgeous lady💙🩷💙🩷
She’s a great looking senior!
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Thank you to everyone who reached out inquiring about the lemurs' safety after Hurricane Helene!
Since we are located in the eastern half of North Carolina, we were fortunate enough to experience nothing worse than some heavy rain and scattered thunderstorms, so all lemurs (and people) here at the DLC are safe. While we avoided the brunt of the storm here in Durham, many communities across western NC were not so lucky and are still in a state of crisis. For information and resources regarding hurricane recovery or to donate to the official disaster relief fund, we recommend checking the NC Department of Public Safety's official website at www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/hurricane-helene#Ihavequestionsorconcernsabou...
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you for the update! I was worried about my little friends and their caretakers!💕
Thank you for the update! We are so happy that you and your little charges are all safe and sound.
Thank you so much for the update! I have been wondering about everyone there.
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Three little mouse lemurs, sitting in a row… 🎶
Gray mouse lemur mom Azalea and her four-month-old twins, Peanut and Macadamia, woke up before lights out to get a head start on breakfast! While mouse lemurs don’t hibernate the way that fat-tailed dwarf lemurs do, they still gain weight during Madagascar’s dry season and can enter shorter bursts of torpor to conserve energy and avoid predation. Enjoy some munching ASMR as these tiny primates chow down on some fresh fruit 😋
🎥: Becca N. ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook
Hello Duke Lemur Center! How did you and all the lemurs fare during Helene's fierce storm? Are you all okay, safe and sound? Were there special precautions taken, did you have to operate with special procedures in place? Would you please make a separate post so we all know? Thank you! Stay safe!! From Baltimore.
I love watching little animals using their hands to eat and for other things too. I feed the squirrels who live in my trees, and it makes me so happy to see them holding their sunflower seeds and peanuts in their hands while they open and eat them.
So cute!! Is everyone dry from the hurricane?
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When it comes to foraging enrichment, these balls are a slam dunk! 🏀
➡️ www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/373AW0NFW38GY/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1?viewType=list
Hol-ee rollers are a favorite way to increase foraging behavior for the lemurs. Presenting food in this manner elicits species-specific behaviors, including increasing the amount of foraging time. Due to the popularity of use, animal care staff need to replace them about every 6 months due to wear-and-tear. The fall is the time to replace the well-used hol-ee rollers as we head into winter. Want to help restock this favorite item? Head on over to our Amazon wishlist and send hol-ee rollers directly to your furry friends here at the DLC! 🤗
📸: Sara Sorraia (1); Bob Karp (2) ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
How are my lemur friends doing during this nasty storm and strong winds? I’ve been so concerned for them and their caretakers! Be safe please 💕
What do yall put in there?
Amy Rhode
They grow up so fast 🥹
Have you met ring-tailed lemur matriarch Sprite and her daughter Lulu on one of our Walking with Lemurs tours? 23-year-old Sprite has had a total of 13 offspring over the course of her life, and 10-year-old Lulu (along with her twin sister Willow, who currently lives at the Cincinnati Zoo) is the youngest of those offspring and the only one who still lives with mom. Enjoy a current photo and a #tbt pic of these lovely ladies! 💕
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
I like lulu .. she's sassy!
Beautiful ladies🩷🩷
Definitely pretty. 💓
New Aye-Aye Pod episode just dropped! 🎙
So how smart are lemurs, exactly? How do we even start to figure that out? This week, hosts Megan McGrath (DLC Education Programs Manager) and Matt Borths (DLC Museum of Natural History Curator) interview Ray Vagell, a researcher and graduate student from Texas State University who uses SMARTA (a custom-designed touch screen system) to study how lemurs solve problems at the Duke Lemur Center. They also discuss the fun—but mysterious—fact that only female ruffed lemurs have color vision. Ray also uses SMARTA to study ruffed lemur vision, and his research has become enrichment for some ruffed lemurs who love playing with the device. Sometimes they even find ways to cheat the system!
Aye-Aye Pod is available for listening on all major podcasting platforms, as well as at lemur.duke.edu/about/aye-aye-pod, and new episodes will drop each Wednesday! 🎧
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
My mom, Joan Wall worked there, as did I for a bit. I hope they remember.
How do the black & white & red ruffed lemurs keep their long fur absolutely immaculate & looking like they just emerged from a beauty parlor? I saw them groom & lick each others fur a little bit on my trip to Madagascar in July, but then they are flying through the trees all day long…. What’s their secret?
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... red ruffed lemur Afo! ✈️
Ten-year-old old Afo ("ah-foo") was born at the Lemur Conservation Foundation and transferred to the DLC on a breeding recommendation in 2020. Since joining our colony, Afo has become a father, siring two-year-old Hoku. His name means "fire" in Malagasy, and when you look at his gorgeous red fur in the sunlight, you can see why it's such a fitting moniker! 🔥
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
7 CommentsComment on Facebook
What a beauty he is!❤️
Looks like a man with a plan.
Afo, you gorgeous action hero!!🧡😍🧡
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Crowned lemur companions Sanura and Ma'at enjoy fresh honeysuckle leaves on a sunny afternoon 🌿
These crowned lemurs are showing off exactly how they got their species name! In this sexually dichromatic species, females like Sanura are all gray with orange "crowns," while males like Ma'at are all orange-brown with black "crowns." Male crowned lemurs have a scent gland in the center of their foreheads, so Ma'at's bald patch comes from lots of rubbing his head on branches to mark his territory 😊
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
But I'm confused. What do "Sanura" and "Ma'at" mean?
I love crowned lemurs, and these two are precious.💕
I learn so much about the world of lemurs every time I click on DLC !!!❤️. I love these little guys!!!!
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