10 Endangered Lemurs of Madagascar

One can visit Madagascar islands, but rarely you can find these weird but fascinating lemurs. So, just content yourself seeing a photo of each one of them and know some interesting facts about them as well.

1. Brown Mouse Lemur

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A lemur? No way, perhaps a squirrel. But this is actually a lemur or to be exact, a brown mouse lemur. This endangered creature is native only to the island of Madagascar. A solitary and nocturnal primate, the Brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus rufus) feeds on insects, fruits and flowers. The species is among the shortest-lived of primates. It has a lifespan of 6–8 years in the wild. These night creatures can easily be identified by the cream-colored stripe on their face between their large eyes. Their fur varies in color from a rich golden red chestnut (or russet) to a light brown.

The Brown Mouse lemur is one of the smallest lemur species in the world. Adults grow to a mere 12.40 centimeters (4.92 inches) long from their nose tips to the base of their tails. They weigh from 39 to 98 grams (37 to 3.45 ounces). Their tails are about as long as their bodies averaging 11.5 centimeters (4.53 inches) in length.

2. Diademed Sifaka

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From one of the world's smallest, we go now to one of the world's largest living lemurs. The Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema) is a critically endangered species of sifaka native to a handful of rain forests in eastern Madagascar. One of the most colorful and attractive of all the lemurs, the species is known for its long and silky coat. The long white fur encircles the muzzle and covering the cheeks, forehead and chin. Thus, creating a "diadem" or crown appearance. Adult Diademed Sifaka measures 42 - 55 cm (17 - 22 in) head and body length and weighs 5.0 - 7.3 kg (11 - 16 lb).

3. Aye-aye

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The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) owns a weird appearance that scientists argued among themselves if this creature is a lemur. Not until 2008 when the animal was grouped in with other families of lemur species. The aye-aye is famous — or rather, infamous — for its creepy appearance. Compared to other lemurs, it is unusual in having big eyes, bony elongated middle fingers, rodent-like continuously growing incisors, and large, sensitive ears. It is dark in color with two layers of hair: long, coarse black hair with white tips and shorter and softer off-white hair.

This creepy, endangered lemur is the world's largest nocturnal primate species. Aye-Aye is basically the primate version of a woodpecker. The species are the only primates thought to use echolocation to find prey. Adults measure 36 to 43 cm (14 to 17 in) long with a 56 to 61 cm (22 to 24 in) tail. They average 2 kg (4 lbs) in weight.

4. Mongoose Lemur

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The Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) is a critically endangered lemur species found in dry deciduous forests on the island of Madagascar. It is also one of only two lemurs found outside of Madagascar, and it is an introduced resident of the Comoros Islands. The species is cathemeral, meaning they're active at varying times of the day and night depending on the season and availability of light. It has soft, woolly fur, a relatively long, bushy tail and a pronounced ruff around the neck and ears. Males have grey-brown fur on their upper parts, while females are generally paler grey in color. The eyes of both sexes are reddish-orange. Adults are about 35 cm (14 in), 45 - 48 cm tail length and weigh about 2 kg (4.4 lb).

5. Bamboo Lemur

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These medium-sized primates in genus Hapalemur live exclusively in Madagascar. The species prefers damp forests where bamboo grows. The Bamboo Lemur is generally a small to medium lemur characterized by a grey-brown fur depending on the species. The head is lighter in color than the rest of the body. The muzzle is short and the ears are round and hairy. Adults measure from 26 to 46 cm in length, with tails just as long or longer, and weigh up to 2.5 kg.

6. Fork-marked Lemur

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The Fork-marked Lemur (Phaner furcifer) is another endangered lemur species found within the humid forests of eastern Madagascar and in the dry temperate forests of the west. The species is named for the two black stripes, which run up from the eyes, converge at the top of the head, and run down the back as a single black stripe. This weird primate has rings around the eyes, and large membranous ears. Adult head and body length ranges from 227 to 285 mm (8.94 to 11.22 in), with 285 to 370 mm long tail. It weighs between 300 and 500 g (10.57 to 17.62 oz).

7. Blue-eyed Black Lemur

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The Blue-eyed Black Lemur (Eulemur flavifrons), also known as the Sclater's lemur found in Northwestern dry deciduous forest of Madagascar. The species are one of the only primates besides humans to have natural blue eyes! The eye color ranges from intriguing electric blue, a soft gray-blue or a light sky-blue. Sadly, the blue-eyed black lemur is currently one of the world's 25 most endangered primates and is listed as Critically Endangered.

The striking Blue-eyed lemurs are sexually dichromatic different coloration in males and females): males are black and females are orange-brown. Males are born brown and only begin to turn black after 5-6 weeks. Adults can attain a body length of 39–45 cm, a tail length of 51–65 cm, and a weight of 1.8-1.9 kg.

8. Common Brown Lemur

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We go from blue eyes to vibrantly orange eyes. The Common Brown Lemur (Eulemur fulvus) is found in Madagascar and Mayotte. Habitat ranges from lowlands to mountains, evergreen forests and deciduous forests. Like many other lemurs, common brown lemur population is declining due to habitat loss. The IUCN Red List currently rates the species as Vulnerable.

The Common Brown Lemur is the only one of the lemur species in which males and females do not show different coloration. These medium-sized lemurs have short, dense fur that is typically brown or grey-brown. The face, muzzle and crown are dark grey or black with paler eyebrow patches, and the eyes are orange-red. They weigh around 2 – 3 kg. Their body length is 50 cm, as is their tail length.

9. Golden-crowned Sifaka

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This medium-sized lemur species looks like it was patted on the head by King Midas. The Golden-crowned Sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli) is characterized by predominantly short, white or cream-colored coat, prominent furry tufted ears, and a golden-orange crown. The hairless, black face is drawn into a pronounced muzzle and the eyes are a bright orange color. One of the smallest sifakas, adults measure around 48 cm (18.9 in) from head to tail and weighs around 3.5 kg (7.7 lb).

The species is found in semi-evergreen and dry deciduous forest fragments surrounded by agriculture. The Golden-crowned Sifaka or Tattersall's sifaka is listed as critically endangered with around 18,000 individuals exist in the wild.

10. Silky Sifaka

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Nicknamed ‘angel of the forest’ due to its long, silky white fur the Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus) is a standout amongst the lemur species. Coupled with the bare, black face and deep orange eyes, the silky sifaka is a stunning and highly distinctive animal. Unfortunately, this species is also critically endangered, and is one of the 25 most endangered primates on Earth. Its population size is estimated to range between 100 and 1,000 individuals.

Not all individuals are completely white: some have silver-gray or black tints on the crown, back, and limbs The skin may be a mix of pink and black, solid pink or solid black. Adults measure 48–54 cm (1.6–1.8 ft) in head-body length of 48–54 cm (1.6–1.8 ft), 45–51 cm (1.5–1.7 ft) tail length, and a weigh around 5–6.5 kg (11–14 lb).