Lemur Life
Credit: Astrid Lenz | Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-72823p1.html

The quirky 100-plus lemur species call just one place home: the island of Madagascar. Since arriving there some 62 million years ago, the primates that became lemurs have enjoyed an island paradise, where there were few predators and plenty of food. The tens of current species have taken on various shapes and sizes, as well as lifestyles.

Now, results of a June 2012 conference of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission finds that many lemurs are on the brink of extinction due primarily to habitat loss. Here's a look at our wacky Madagascar pals.


A red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra)