Celebrating Pollinator Week with the “Honey Bee” Twins!
We’re so excited to announce the names of our littlest ring-tailed lemurs, Karl and Melissa!
Karl was named by Keeper Becca, the family’s primary caretaker, after Austrian scientist Karl Von Frisch, who won a Nobel Prize for his research on honey bees and their “waggle dance.” This name follows in the tradition of Liesl’s family, who typically receive Austrian names.
Melissa’s name inspiration is twofold. In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who fed honey to baby Zeus and the inspiration for the Greek word for “honey bee.” Melissa also shares her name with Melissa Dean, the Duke Lemur Center’s longtime Business Manager. Melissa, who was featured in a Duke Today story highlighting her fight against breast cancer, has worked with the DLC since 1988 and plans to retire in the upcoming year, and the Curatorial Team decided to honor her decades of dedication by bestowing Liesl’s daughter with her name.
This duo of bee-inspired names is perfect for the pair of stripey, energetic forest dwellers that are Liesl’s twins!
Liesl nursing her young twins, Karl and Melissa. Photo by Sara Nicholson.
Karl is very excited to snack on fresh greens in the forest! Photo by Sara Nicholson.
Melissa and Karl rest (and snack) on Liesl’s back after a long play session. Photo by Sara Sorraia.
Meet Karl and Melissa!
Meet Liesl’s twins, Karl and Melissa! This ring-tailed lemur brother and sister, born on March 8, are the eighth and ninth offspring of 17-year-old Liesl. 11-year-old Schwepps is a first-time dad. As is common in ring-tailed lemur troops, he is relatively uninvolved with infant care. Liesl spends most of her time with her older daughter, 10-year-old Hedwig, who has taken wonderfully to her new role as a big sister. Hedwig is very protective of her mom and new siblings; she frequently chases Schwepps away when he tries to approach and flirt with Liesl.
Momma Liesl walks through the woods with Karl on her back. Karl is the less adventurous twin, tending to spend more time cuddled up with mom. Photo by Sara Nicholson.
Melissa was born smaller (49 grams, compared to Karl’s 59 grams) but has since surpassed Karl in size. Both infants are wide-eyed and curious about the world around them. They have started riding around on Liesl’s back while the family free-ranges in their 16-acre forest enclosure, even venturing off mom on occasion to climb small twigs and nibble on fresh leaves.
Schwepps was introduced to Liesl after the passing of her longtime partner, Aracus, who lived to an exceptional 33 years old and sired her first seven offspring. These twins are Liesl’s first infants in ten years—Hedwig and twin sister Griselda were Liesl’s final offspring with Aracus, born in 2016. Despite the decade-long gap, Liesl hasn’t lost any of her mothering instincts and continues to take fantastic care of her newest son and daughter.
Melissa, exploring the big, wide world. Photo by Sara Nicholson.