Lemuroidea
Sign in to saveLemurs ( ; ) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea ( ), divided into eight families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 extant species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, with a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They usually live in trees and are active at night.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Lemuriformes
- Image
- Indri Indri.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- P183
- Madagascar
- P105
- superfamily
- P1889
- Lemur
- P2348
- Holocene
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Article
29 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Evolutionary history
- Distribution and diversity
- Taxonomic classification and phylogeny
- Anatomy and physiology
- Dentition
- Senses
- Metabolism
- Behaviour
- Diet
- Social systems
- Activity patterns
- Locomotion
- Communication
- Predator avoidance
- Reproduction
- Cognitive abilities and tool use
- Ecology
- Research
- Conservation
- Threats in the wild
- Conservation efforts
- In Malagasy culture
- In popular culture
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Books cited
- External links
Lemurs ( ; ) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea ( ), divided into eight families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 extant species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, with a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They usually live in trees and are active at night.
Lemurs share resemblance with other primates, but evolved independently from monkeys and apes. Due to Madagascar’s highly seasonal climate, lemur evolution has produced a level of species diversity rivaling that of any other primate group.