Close up of a Ring-Tailed Lemur in Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
The Lemur is the smallest of all primates and very few people even realize that they belong to this particular type of animal. Early evolution shows that they were once as large as an adult gorilla though. This is based on fossil remains that are millions of years old. The Lemur is believed to have gotten smaller in order to adapt to living in the trees and to rely on less food for survival. There are many different species of Lemurs and they can offer various sizes and colors. As a result they are often misidentified as some other type of creature. All of them except for one species have long tails. They use the tail for balance though and don’t hang by them as other primates do. All Lemurs have a long nose and they have four legs. They sit or they stand up but they always walk on all fours. They don’t walk upright as other primates have been known to do. They have thin fur due to the warm locations of where they live. They do have opposable thumbs like other primates. The Lemurs are mainly nocturnal animals but they can be active during the day as well. Most of them live in the trees from birth but some of the larger ones will spend time on land daily. They see very well at night but also rely on their sense of smell to help them get around and to recognize each other.
Size: 4128px × 2752px
Location: Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, Beds
Photo credit: © Biblio Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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