“Some plants in Madagascar may have evolved fruit colors so that they can be seen by lemurs that are red-green colorblind.” Super interesting article — and a Duke University researcher is featured too! Plants Can’t Talk. But Some Fruits Say ‘Eat Me’ to Animals. By JoAnna Klein. Originally published in the New York Times on October 9, 2018. Read […]
Originally published on the Duke Research blog on September 27, 2018. By Robin Smith. To digest his leafy diet, this sifaka gets a little help from the trillions of bacteria that inhabit his gut. Sifaka lemurs living at the Duke Lemur Center feed on a range of wild plants during warm months, such as fresh sumac, tulip […]
Thrasher, a 12-year-old fat-tailed dwarf lemur, proudly displays his beautiful thick tail — evidence that the DLC’s mouse and dwarf lemurs have begun entering the initial phases of their yearly period of torpor! If Thrasher were a wild lemur living in Madagascar, the fat stored in his tail would help him survive the cool dry […]
New paper out on the sifaka gut microbiome and metabolome relative to the quality of dietary foliage, using non-invasive research done right here at the Duke Lemur Center! Read the full article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-32759-7. For a great introduction to the gut microbiome, why it’s critical for lemurs’ health, and the practical use and benefits of the […]
It’s been a drizzly Friday at the DLC, but thankfully not much more than that from Hurricane Florence so far! The winds have been off and on and have become more steady this afternoon. There are small branches down on Lemur Lane and around the DLC but nothing damaging. And as usual, our world-class animal care […]
By Sara Clark. Photos by DLC staff. THANK YOU to everyone who has expressed concern for the safety of the DLC’s lemurs and staff as we prepare for the arrival Hurricane Florence. We feel so cared for and loved! We’re taking every precaution to ensure the well-being of all of the primates – human, loris, […]
Coquerel’s sifakas have extremely sensitive digestive systems and specialized nutritional needs. As a species, they have a reputation of being very delicate and difficult to care for, and the Duke Lemur Center is one of very few places that has succeeded in caring for and breeding them. So much so, in fact, that all sifakas […]
We love this shout-out to the DLC’s senior veterinarian, Bobby Schopler, from Cédric de Foucault of Anjajavy on the northwest coast of Madagascar! “Last month we were proud to host the eminent Professor Robert Schopler, senior vet to Duke Lemur Center. His expert practical animal husbandry training will undoubtedly prove invaluable to our team. We are thrilled […]
