Why do dwarf lemurs live so long—and can humans, too? By Peter Klopfer, Ph.D., Co-founder of the Duke Lemur Center and Professor Emeritus of Biology at Duke University. Originally published on pages 14-15 of LEMURS Magazine: The “Why” Issue in February 2024. When fat-tailed dwarf lemurs enter hibernation at temperatures below 25°C, they show little or no […]
On May 23, 2024, a very special lemur celebrates a special occasion. Aracus, the oldest diurnal lemur currently living at the DLC, is turning 33! Aracus, born in 1991 to mom Corinna, has lived at the DLC his entire life. Of the seventeen offspring that Aracus has sired over the course of his life, eight […]
Meet Our “Precious” Newest Additions! At 6:30 AM on March 19, 2024, the Duke Lemur Center’s husbandry staff checked on ring-tailed lemur mom Sierra Mist and discovered that she had just given birth! The twins, born at a healthy 66 grams (male) and 82 grams (female), are the first pair of ring-tailed lemur twins born […]
Every year, we celebrate World Lemur Day in appreciation of the remarkable wildlife of Madagascar. The DLC and our partners in Madagascar collaborate in educational activities to raise awareness about lemurs and interest in environmental conservation. In November 2023, the DLC-SAVA Conservation program partnered with local actors to host a World Lemur Day celebration […]
For some people, the word “rainforest” conjures up vague notions of teeming jungles. But Camille DeSisto sees something more specific: a complex interdependent web. For the past few years, the Duke graduate student has been part of a community-driven study exploring the relationships between people, plants, and lemurs in a rainforest in northern Madagascar, where the health […]
Of all the animals on Earth, why are we so passionate about lemurs? Of all the islands in the ocean, why is Madagascar remarkable—and so worthy of our conservation attention? In the new “Why” issue of the DLC magazine, you’ll find out! Complimentary copies of the magazine have been mailed to donors of $250+ […]
By Andrea Tejada, 2022 Communications Intern Illustrations by Karie Whitman Click here or on the image above to read the full article with photos and illustrations. Originally published in January 2023 in “The Women’s Issue” of the DLC annual magazine. Mapping Herstory: Studies in Female Dominance Since its inception, the field of primatology has been […]
Spring has sprung at the Duke Lemur Center, and so has our second infant of the 2024 baby season: critically endangered Coquerel’s sifaka Pax! Pax was born early in the morning on January 20, 2024, to second-time mother Magdalena and experienced father Gratian. She weighed a healthy 103 grams—about the weight of an avocado!—and had […]