What kind of lemurs are there

Meet the Lemurs. Species housed at the DLC The Duke Lemur Center houses over lemurs and bushbabies across 13 species — the most diverse population of lemurs on Earth, outside their native Madagascar.

Colony list For the most up-to-date list of species and individuals housed at the DLC, please see our colony list. Black and White Ruffed Lemur. Blue-eyed Black Lemur. Collared Lemur. Crowned Lemur. Lemurs are prosimians, a type of primate. Other primates include monkeys, apes and humans. Lemurs are endemic to Madagascar, where they evolved in isolation. Unlike monkeys, lemurs have a moist nose and rely more heavily on their sense of smell. Physically many have especially pointed snouts and all but the largest lemur, the Indri, have long tails.

Today we know there are over kinds of lemurs and new species are continuing to be described by scientists. Lemurs have pointed snouts with wet noses and rely more on their sense of smell than monkeys do, according to the Lemur Conservation Foundation.

The lemur superfamily includes ring-tailed lemurs Lemur catta popularized by the "Madagascar" film franchise, and the peculiar aye-ayes Daubentonia madagascariensis — previously described by Live Science as " so ugly it's cute.

Almost all of the lemurs alive today are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN. There are known lemur species, according to the IUCN , with the potential for more to be discovered. Indri Indri indri is the largest lemur species, and can grow to between 24 and 35 inches 61 and 90 centimeters long and can weigh up to 22 lbs.

Lemurs often have long tails, but indris are the only species to not have one at all. The smallest lemurs are Madame Berthe's mouse lemurs Microcebus berthae , which are also the smallest primates in the world. These lemurs grow to just 3. Giant lemurs, some the size of gorillas , roamed Madagascar just a few thousand years ago. These included giant sloth lemurs, which had long limbs and hooked fingers like the claws of a modern sloth, although they were lemurs and not sloths, which are a separate group of mammals.

Giant sloth lemurs were still living in Madagascar until at least 1, years ago, as evidenced by a single cave drawing of a giant sloth lemur being hunted by humans with dogs, according to The Natural History Museum in London.

Size is not the only way to tell lemur species apart — they are often also very unique in appearance. Ring-tailed lemurs are easily recognized by the black rings on their white, fluffy tails.

Blue-eyed black lemurs Eulemur flavifrons are striking, as they are the only primates other than humans to have blue eyes, according to the San Diego Zoo. Aye-ayes have perhaps the strangest appearance of all lemurs and primates in general, with tiny, bulging eyes, enormous ears and fluffy, long tails. These nocturnal lemurs also have long, skinny fingers that they tap on branches to locate and collect grubs for food.

Related: 'Cursed' primate weirdos have extra thumbs. Scientists didn't know about them until now. All lemurs are found on Madagascar, an island country off the west coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Populations of mongoose lemurs Eulemur mongoz and brown lemurs Eulemur fulvus also live on the nearby Comoros Islands, between Madagascar and Mozambique, but they were almost certainly introduced to these islands by humans, according to the IUCN.

Related: Species hitched ride to Madagascar on floating islands. Lemurs occupy many different habitats on Madagascar, including rainforests , dry deciduous forests, spiny forests, wetlands and mountains. When traveling, appreciate lemurs in their natural habitats and avoid hotels with captive lemurs, as these animals are often caught from the wild.

Taking lemurs from the wild is detrimental to lemur populations and their social structures. But, viewing lemurs in the wild is much less invasive. It is also more rewarding to see lemurs in their natural habitat! While at home, you can help protect Madagascar from climate change by lowering your carbon footprint. To do this, you can eat less meat, switch to renewable fuel, and be a conscious consumer of paper products. Ensure that your household paper is deforestation-free and uses only recycled materials, and avoid buying furniture and other products made with rosewood.

While traveling and when visiting zoos, avoid taking and sharing selfies with captive lemurs, because these photos encourage the pet trade of lemurs in Madagascar, which is a danger to wild populations.

LCN works to educate the public about lemurs, raise awareness for their conservation, and promote the people and organizations working to save them from extinction.

Like all prosimians, ring-tailed lemurs have a long snout and a tooth comb. While this grey mouse lemur is the largest mouse lemur species, it weighs just 60 grams! This table shows the current taxonomic structure of known lemur species. Genera that belong to each family are listed in italics beneath the common group name. A rufous brown lemur eating fruit. Family of crowned sifakas in a tree. Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs store resources in their tail so they can remain dormant for up to days.

The fossa is a natural predator of lemurs. The remaining forests in Madagascar, like Marojejy National Park pictured here, are often surrounded by agricultural areas.

Reforestation nurseries, like this one which is staffed with people from local villages in Kianjavato, are key to protecting and growing lemur habitat. Ecotourists can visit many parks to see lemurs in the wild in Madagascar, like Ranomafana National Park pictured here.