Black Lemur Natural History
Size
Their average size is between 30 – 50 cm and their tails are an additional length of 60cm.
Habitat and Distribution
All lemur species are endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are a very adaptable primate and can be found in wet evergreen, dry deciduous and riverine forest habitats.
Age
The lifespan of an Black Lemur is between 20 – 25 years in the wild but can easily reach 30 years old in human care.
Diet
Black lemurs are omnivores and enjoy foods such as fruit, leaves, seeds, flowers and invertebrates. They have a very important role in seed dispersal for maintaining a wide diversity of plants.
Groups and Breeding
They are very sociable primates and can live in family units of anywhere between 4 to 15 members. Females are dominant within the group and they share very strong family bonds. A female will usually breed between April and June. After a gestation period of 120 days they will then give birth to one or two infants. They are nursed by their mother and begin to explore their environment within a few weeks.
Threats
Much like all Lemur species, Black Lemurs main threat is deforestation of their habitat. The IUCN Red List classes this species as Endangered.
Interesting Facts
Black lemurs have scent glands on their wrists which they use to mark their territory and communicate with other Lemurs.
The Black Lemurs During Your Day Out in Kent
We are home to two Black Lemurs called Mac and Hanketo. They are brothers and you can find them with our group of Ring-Tailed Lemurs in our walkthrough exhibit.
The more you know…
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