The Bedford Estates, London
Lemurs at Woburn Safari Park
Enter into the woodland enclosure in the Foot Safari and you'll find yourself walking amongst the lemurs as they forage, snooze and climb through the trees above your head.
Land of Lemurs is home to three endangered species - the ring-tailed lemurs, red-bellied lemurs, and black and white ruffed lemurs.
Lemur Facts
- How many species of lemurs are there?
- Are lemurs primates?
- Where can lemurs be found?
- Why do lemurs only live in Madagascar?
- Which lemurs are endangered?
- Why are lemurs endangered?
- What do lemurs eat?
- Which lemur is the loudest?
- Which lemur is the biggest?
- Which lemur is the smallest?
- Do lemurs make good pets?
How many species of lemurs are there?
There are more than 100 species of lemur, but sadly almost all of them are threatened with extinction.
Are lemurs primates?
Lemurs are prosimians, a time of primate.
However, unlike monkeys, lemurs have a moist nose and rely heavily on their sense of smell.
Where can lemurs be found?
Lemurs can only be found on the African island of Madagascar, just off the west coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
Why do lemurs only live in Madagascar?
It is believed that lemurs may have already been on the island when it separated from the African mainland. Other theories do suggest that the lemurs may have ended up on the island after floating across the water on large bunches of vegetation.
As lemurs did not have any predators on the island, so it is believed that their numbers grew rapidly and over time they evolved into many different species.
Which lemurs are endangered?
Lemurs are one of the most endangered group of mammals on the planet today.
It is believed that 98% of lemur species are endangered and 31% of species are critically endangered.
Why are lemurs endangered?
One of the biggest threats lemurs face today is deforestation but they are also threatened by hunting and the growing pet trade.
What do lemurs eat?
Lemurs are herbivores and usually feed on plant foods including leaves, seedpods, fruits and flowers.
Which lemur is the loudest?
The black and white ruffed lemurs are the loudest of all of the lemur species. They are the second loudest primate in the world, after the howler monkey.
Which lemur is the biggest?
The Indri is the largest of all of the lemur species. They can weigh between 6-9.5kg and range from 64-72cm in length.
Which lemur is the smallest?
The pygmy mouse lemur is not only the smallest of the lemurs but is also the smallest primate in the world.
Its head and body are less than two and a half inches long!
Do lemurs make good pets?
Lemurs are not domestic animals and do not adapt well to home life. They are social animals that are happiest living in groups of their own species.
Lemurs cannot be tamed and without the proper environment and knowledge for caring for these complex animals, they can become aggressive.
Finally, the demand for pet primates encourages the illegal capture and trade of these animals from the wild, which is threatening the survival of all lemur species.
