Lemur | 台北市立動物園資訊網

listen)LEE-mər)(fromLatinlemures–ghostsorspirits)aremammalsoftheorderPrimates,dividedinto8familiesandconsistingof15generaandaround100 ...

Clade of primates endemic to the island of Madagascar

Lemurs ( LEE-mər; from Latin lemures lit. ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea ( lem-yuurr-OY-dee-ə),[4] divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They chiefly live in trees and are active at night.

Lemurs share resemblance with other primates, but evolved independently from monkeys and apes. Due to Madagascars highly seasonal climate, lemur evolution has produced a level of species diversity rivaling that of any other primate group.

Living lemurs range in weight from the 30-gram (1.1 oz) mouse lemur to the 9-kilogram (20 lb) indri. Since the arrival of humans on the island around 2,000 years ago, over a dozen species of "giant lemurs" larger than living lemur species have become extinct, including th...