What is a Collared Brown Lemur?
Collared brown lemurs are a nocturnal primate that is endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are found in the forest and can be found in different colors like black, brown, or white.
Physical Description
Lemurs are small, medium-sized primates that live in the tropics. Lemurs have a complex coat of colors including colors like brown, orange-red, and black. They are different from most other primates because males and female coloration is different - allowing them to easily recognize their own sex! They have spotted coats having colorful stripes. Female foxes have lighter gray fur on their heads and faces, with reddish-brown cheeks.
Both sexes have “tooth combs” to tidy their teeth. The lower teeth are pointed and lean forward, maintaining smaller gaps between them. Brown lemurs are obligate arboreal primates, which means they spend most of their time in trees and rarely come down to the ground. Elap long distances on the forest canopy without swaying can jump up to 15 feet in a single leap and can jump sideways up to 5 ft, in addition to clambering on all fours.
They have opposable thumbs, which enables them to grip branches with their hands and feet. The long-tailed brown lemur, also known as the ring-tail lemur or the dwarf lemur (Eulemur fulvus), is a species of lemur native to Madagascar.
The ring-tail lemur is a small, brown lemur that has a distinctive ring of black fur around the tail. It is among the smallest primates in the world, weighing no more than 500 grams (1.1 lb). Ring-tails live up to 40 years in captivity and up to 30 in the wild.
Size
Wild turkeys tend to weigh between 5-6 pounds, so turkeys' measurements should be about 4 inches wide and 8 inches long.
Native Habitat
Brown lemurs can be found in a variety of habitats in Madagascar. They typically live in lowland rainforests and higher altitude montane forests further inland. The brown lemur is dependent on these different habitats and they are commonly found in Andohahela National Park, a protected area where they can find food, shelter, & space to breed.
Food/Eating Habits
Fruit makes up about 70% of their diet. They also eat flowers, nectar, bark, soil, insects, and sometimes small chameleons. Their diet varies widely based on what food is available and they have been documented eating more than 75 different plant species on multiple occasions.
Brown lemur animals are important seed dispersers in the forests where they live. They can eat a lot of fruit, dropping seeds all over the ground as they do so. They also travel throughout the day and night, distributing digested fruit seeds as they go.
The lemurs at the National Zoo are eating a healthy, varied diet of produce and animal crackers.
Social Structure
These lemurs live in moderately large groups, called troops, that range from 2 to 22 lemurs. Smaller troops are becoming more common as their forest habitat grows increasingly fragmented. Some lemur species are known to be dominated by females, especially in some troops; however, this is not the case with collared brown lemurs which are co-dominant.
Gray-brown lemurs are one of the most social types of non-primate mammals. They communicate using a variety of vocalizations and scents. They maintain home ranges by marking territory and accompanying scent with protest screams. In general, although not territorial, they will fight if provoked or if too many animals encroach upon their range.
Reproduction and Development
In Madagascar, brown lemurs become sexually mature during the months of May-July. This is different from the Western Hemisphere, where mating can occur at different times of the year. You can tell that males are more aggressive during the breeding season, as they urinate on animals and other males to show their dominance.
For a lemur to know when to mate, they need to know when females are only receptive for a 24-hour period during the breeding season. And lemurs typically give birth to one baby that lasts about 120 days before dying. Both parents help raise the young, which may explain why some lemur species have a lower infant mortality rate than others. The young begin to wean around 3-4 months old and the full rearing period lasts up to 2 years.
Sleep Habits
Brown lemurs don't always sleep, but rather rest about two-thirds of the day. They are active during the day and are known as cathemeral.
Lifespan
Brown lemurs live about 23 years in human care and can live up to 40-45 years in the wild.
