5 Wonderful Types of Lemurs

Lemurs are one of the most mysterious creatures on the planet. Often mistaken for monkeys, they were named after lemurs, which are spirits or ghost in roman mythology. These animals are endemic to the island of Madagascar and the areas around it. Many subspecies are still being discovered to this day, and some of the subspecies don’t even resemble lemurs.

Below are wonderful and strange lemur species that would get you wondering if they are really lemurs or a whole different type of animal.

Brown Mouse Lemur

Although this little fella looks nothing like a lemur and more like a sugar glider or a squirrel, they’re actually one of the smallest lemur subspecies. They feed on insects, flowers, and fruits. On a sad note, these cute little lemurs have the shortest lifespan amongst all primates, ranging from around 6 to 8 years.

Diademed Sifaka

Their beautiful golden fur is not the only thing that gives them away. The diademed sifaka is one of the biggest lemurs around, not to mention one of the fastest as well. They usually stay in the canopies and rarely come down. Their strong arms and legs help them to move swiftly through the trees. Tagged as critically endangered, there is an estimate of only 10,000 of these colorful lemurs left in the wild.

Mongoose Lemur

One of the two lemur species found outside Madagascar, these ones look like a fluffy teddy bear. What makes them different from most of the animals in Madagascar is that they’re cathemeral, which means they can be active during different times of the day or night, depending on the availability of sunlight and the season. They live off fruits, nectar, and flowers.

Aye-Aye

You’re probably surprised to know that this creepy looking creature is actually a lemur. Locals believe that they carry bad luck and death, but although they’re scary-looking, they’re actually pretty harmless. It lives of eating bugs and worms that they find with their long, boney fingers by tapping on tree trunks. They’re very active at night, which adds to their creepiness.

Bamboo Lemur

They weren’t called bamboo lemurs until around the 1980s. These lemurs were original named gentle lemurs, which is kind of ironic considering that they’re actually pretty aggressive when placed in captivity. Although they might scratch and bite, they only live off bamboo so don’t expect it to attack you if it ever does feel hungry.