Can we all just take a moment to envy this red-ruffed lemur’s capacity to nap with the most exquisite of balance?
Whatcha upto? Image credit: Mark Seton.
When it isn’t serving as the mascot for overeating naptime, the red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) lives along the northeast coast of Madagascar. They’re exceptionally tidy beasts, with special incisor teeth perfect for grooming the long fur of their packmates. However, they would be moderately obnoxious feast-day guests, requiring a diet of primarily fruit, nectar and pollen with occasional forays into seeds and leaves when their normal meals are scarce. They’re also shockingly loud for their size, capable of loud, echoing booms audible over kilometres of jungle.
Enough with the discussing religion and politics at dinner! Image credit: Mathias Appel.
While all lemurs are endangered, the red ruffed lemur is critically endangered with an estimated 1000 to 10,000 living in the wild. They are threatened by habitat loss (from illegal logging, fires, and frequent cyclones), but live capture for the pet trade also inhibits their population.
Just relax already! Image credit: GollyGForce.