lemur

lemur

lemur , name for prosimians, or lower primates , of two related families, found only on Madagascar and adjacent islands. Lemurs have monkeylike bodies and limbs, and most have bushy tails about as long as the body. They have pointed muzzles and large eyes. The fingers and toes have flat nails, except the second toe, which has a stout claw. Most lemurs lead an arboreal existence. The woolly lemurs (family Lemuridae) are agile animals with woolly coats. They vary in size from the lesser mouse lemur ( Microcebus murinus ), about 8 in. (20 cm) long including the tail, to some species of common woolly lemur ( Lemur ) that reach about 4 ft (120 cm) in length. They forage in trees and on the ground in large family groups and engage in social grooming. Most types are active both by day and by night. Their diet, which varies with the species, may include leaves, fruits, eggs, and insects and other small animals. Some build nests of leaves and branches in trees. The best-known species, the ring-tailed lemur ( Lemur catta ), is atypical, spending most of the time on the ground. Its fur is gray and its tail ringed with black and white stripes. Members of the other lemur family (Indriidae) are sometimes called silky lemurs. They are larger, slower-moving, strictly vegetarian animals; most have silky coats. One member of this family, the indri ( Indri indri ), has no tail. The aye-aye is closely related to the lemurs. The so-called flying lemur is not a primate, but a member of a different mammalian order. Lemurs are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Primates, families Lemuridae and Indriidae.

Bibliography: See A. Jolly, Lemur Behavior (n.d.).

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"lemur." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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lemur

lemur Any of several small primitive, mainly arboreal (tree-dwelling) and nocturnal, herbivorous primates that live in Madagascar. It resembles a squirrel, but has grasping monkey-like hands with which it climbs easily. Lemurs have changed little in 50 million years, closely resembling the ancestors of man and other primates. Family Lemuridae.

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"lemur." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"lemur." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-lemur.html

"lemur." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-lemur.html

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lemur

le·mur / ˈlēmər/ • n. an arboreal primate (Lemuridae and other families) with a pointed snout and typically a long tail, found only in Madagascar.

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"lemur." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"lemur." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lemur.html

"lemur." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-lemur.html

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lemur

lemur XVIII. — modL. lemur, f. L. pl. lemurēs shades of the departed; so named because of its spectre-like face.

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T. F. HOAD. "lemur." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "lemur." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lemur.html

T. F. HOAD. "lemur." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-lemur.html

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Lemur

Lemur (ring-tailed lemurs) See LEMURIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Lemur." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Lemur." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Lemur.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Lemur." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Lemur.html

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lemur

lemurbeamer, blasphemer, Colima, creamer, dreamer, emphysema, femur, Iwo Jima, Kagoshima, lemur, Lima, oedema (US edema), ottava rima, Pima, reamer, redeemer, schema, schemer, screamer, seamer, Selima, steamer, streamer, terza rima, Tsushima •daydreamer •dimmer, glimmer, limber, limner, shimmer, simmer, skimmer, slimmer, strimmer, swimmer, trimmer, zimmer •enigma, sigma, stigma •Wilma, Wilmer •charisma • Gordimer • polymer •ulema • anima • enema •cinema, minima •maxima • Bessemer • eczema •dulcimer • Hiroshima •Fatima, Latimer •optima • Mortimer • anathema •climber, Jemima, mimer, old-timer, part-timer, primer, rhymer, timer •Oppenheimer • two-timer •bomber, comma, momma, prommer •dogma • dolma

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"lemur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"lemur." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-lemur.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Lemurs. (photography) (includes related article on Madagascar and photography)
Magazine article from: PSA Journal; 9/1/1998
Lemurs reveal clues to ancient Asian roots. (Science News of the...
Magazine article from: Science News; 10/20/2001
Lemurs in trouble; Close Up.(News)
Newspaper article from: The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA); 11/24/2009

Facts and information from other sites

lemur images
lemur. (Image by Sxenko, GFDL)