What is a lemur?

A lemur is a primate found naturally only on the island of Madagascar, an island located about 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of southern Africa in the Indian Ocean (lemurs have been introduced on neighboring islands). Lemurs are prosimians, which are primates that were the evolutionary predecessor of monkeys and apes (simians). There are nearly sixty types of lemurs ranging in size from the tiny 30 gram Pygmy Mouse-lemur to the 10 kilogram Indri. All lemurs are endangered species, due mainly to habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting.

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