True lemurs (Lemuridae family) of Madagascar



The largest family of lemurs includes the best-known lemur species: the ring-tailed lemur. The ring-tailed lemur is recognizable by its black-and-white-banded tail, much like that of a raccoon, and is found in the dry and deciduous parts of Southwestern Madagascar. Unlike other lemurs, the ring-tailed lemur spends a good portion of its time on the ground.

Bamboo Lemurs
One of the most recently discovered (by Western science) large mammal species is the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus), which was found on an expedition searching for the greater bamboo lemur (H. simius), which was believed to be extinct. The last known (at the time) greater bamboo lemur specimen died in captivity in the mid 1970s, and in 1986 an expedition was arranged to confirm that the species was extinct. The expedition found a previously undescribed bamboo-eating lemur with reddish gold fur, which was later named the golden bamboo lemur. Interestingly, Madagascar's forests support a third species of bamboo-eating lemur, the gentle bamboo lemur (H. griseus). These three species coexist by having specialized bamboo-feeding habits. The golden bamboo lemur, apparently tolerant of high concentrations of cyanide, eats the cyanide containing leaf bases, shoots, and piths of new-growth giant bamboo. The amount of cyanide consumed daily by this species is enough to kill three men. The greater bamboo lemur eats the mature pith of the same bamboo, while the gentle bamboo lemur eats the leaves of another bamboo species.

Lemuridae species:

FamilyCommon nameScientific nameLocal nameActivePictures
LemuridaeWhite-fronted LemurEulemur albifrons VarikaDiurnal
LemuridaeWhite-collared LemurEulemur albocollaris VarikaDiurnal
LemuridaeRed-collared LemurEulemur collaris VarikaDiurnal+
LemuridaeCrowned LemurEulemur coronatus VarikaDiurnal
LemuridaeBrown LemurEulemur fulvus Varikamavo, KombaDiurnal+
LemuridaeBlack LemurEulemur macaco Ankomba, KombaDiurnal+
LemuridaeMongoose LemurEulemur mongoz KombaDiurnal
LemuridaeRed-bellied LemurEulemur rubriventer VarikamenaDiurnal
LemuridaeRed-fronted LemurEulemur rufus Varika, VarikamavoDiurnal+
LemuridaeSanford's LemurEulemur sanfordi Ankomba, BeharavoakaDiurnal
LemuridaeAlaotran Gentle LemurHapalemur alaotrensis BandroDiurnal
LemuridaeGolden Gentle LemurHapalemur aureus Varibolomena, BokombolomenaDiurnal
LemuridaeGray Gentle LemurHapalemur griseus VaribolomadinikaDiurnal+
LemuridaeSambriano Gentle LemurHapalemur occidentalis Bekola, Kofi, Ankomba valihaDiurnal
LemuridaeRing-tailed LemurLemur catta Maki, HiraDiurnal+
LemuridaeBroad-nosed Gentle LemurProlemur simus Varibolomavo, Vari, VarikandraDiurnal
LemuridaeRed Ruffed LemurVarecia rubra VarimenaDiurnal+
LemuridaeBlack-and-White Ruffed LemurVarecia variegata VarijatsyDiurnal+


Lemur images
Bamboo lemur pictures
Black lemur pictures
Brown lemur pictures
Ring-tailed lemur pictures


Lemur links
Duke University's Lemur taxa - includes extinct lemur species