Lemurs
Lemurs are a special group of primates found only on Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. There are 50 species of lemur and 17 are on the endangered species list.

Lemurs are prosimians, or primative primates. They are social animals with long limbs, flexible toes and fingers, and long noses. Habitat loss is the main threat to lemurs today, as people clear their native forests for farmland.

Physical Description: The lemur is a kind of primate, which means it is related to apes and humans. You would never know it from the way it looks though! There are many kinds of lemurs, but most have long, pointy noses, which contribute to their excellent sense of smell. Each type of lemur looks very different. They vary in color from reddish brown to gray, and come in all different sizes too. The smallest lemur, the pygmy mouse lemur, weighs less than 100g. But the biggest lemurs, the indri and diademed sifaka lemurs, can weigh up to fifteen pounds, which is about as much as a big cat.

Communication: Lemurs use their sense of smell to communicate with each other. These primates have scent glands on their bottoms and on their feet that leave odors on surfaces they cross. When other lemurs pass by, they smell those odors and can tell that another lemur has been there. Lemurs have big, bushy tails that they wave in the air as another form of communication. These big tails also help lemurs balance when they leap from tree to tree.
Habits: Most lemurs are arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees and bushes. They have a good grip for hanging onto branches. Only the ringtail lemur spends most of its time on the ground. Usually lemurs that are awake during the day live in groups. Besides using scent glands and tails to communicate, they also make noises. Nocturnal lemurs, that are active at night, tend to live alone.

Range & Habitat: All lemurs are found only in Madagascar (an island off the coast of Africa), and the neighboring Comores Islands. But on these islands, lemurs live in a variety of habitats. Some live in moist, tropical rainforests, while others live in dry desert areas.

Reproduction & Rearing: When lemurs are born, they are carried in their mothers' mouths until they are old enough to hang on to her fur by themselves. Most lemurs live for about eighteen years.

Diet: Lemurs usually have a vegetarian diet, consisting of leaves and fruit, although they will occasionally eat insects or smaller animals.

Status: Out of the fifty different kinds of lemur, ten are critically endangered, seven are endangered and nineteen are considered vulnerable.
Conservation & Ecology: Lemurs play an important role in the ecology of Madagascar and the Comores Islands, because they disperse seeds from the fruit they eat. These seeds can then grow into new plants, which is important because the forests of Madagascar are being destroyed at a very
high rate.

Lemurs are threatened largely because their habitats are being destroyed. People in Madagascar cut down the forests to use the wood, and to grow agricultural crops in place of trees. In fact, 80% of the lemurs’ original habitat in Madagascar has been destroyed. Although the lemurs themselves help to disperse seeds for new plants, they cannot keep up with the people who cut the forests down. Lemur populations are also hurt by hunting. Fortunately, however, all types of lemur are protected by CITES, which makes it illegal to hunt or capture lemurs for trade, except for scientific research and to breed in zoos. These laws are well enforced, and the lemur has been a long-time focus of conservation efforts. But although the lemurs are no longer being hunted as often as in the past, deforestation is still threatening their survival.

New World Monkeys
New World Monkeys are found only in South and Central America. Their nose is broad and flat, with the nostrils facing outwards. Many of the New World Monkeys have prehensile tails. A prehensile tail can wrap around a branch and can support the weight of the animal as it hangs. A prehensile tail is used as another limb. New World monkeys all have a 2-1-3-3 dental formula.

Spider Monkey
Spider monkeys live in the rain forests found in the Andes Mountain Range. They spend the majority of their time in the highest level of the forest canopy. Spider Monkeys are what are called frugivores, with 90% of their diet consisting of fruits and nuts.
They have a prehensile tail. The arms are much longer than the legs. The thumbs are very small in size and may actually be absent. Spider monkeys are semi-brachiators. They use their long arms and tail to swing through the trees. The hand is held in a hook grip while swinging.

Group size varies, but there can be troops containing up to 100 individuals. There are more males than females in the groups. Females are responsible for raising the young.

Tamarins
Tamarins live in tropical rain forests and are thought to occupy the higher levels of the forest canopy on small branches.

They eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, fruits, and small lizards.

Tamarins often give birth to twins, which is unusual for primates. There is one breeding female in each group. The groups often contains three members. The males take an active role in the rearing of the young. After the first week, the babies are carried by the males. When it is time for the infants to eat, they are handed back to the mother. Each of the two males will carry one baby.

The hands and feet of tamarins are narrow in size. All of the digits have modified claws, except for the big toe, which has a flat nail. The third and fourth digits are webbed. They are quadrapedal in the trees; climbing, walking and jumping on top of the branches.

Howler Monkeys
Howler monkeys are found in tropical rainforests and deciduous forests. They occupy the same territory as the spider monkey. They eat leaves, flowers, buds and fruits. Howlers are particularly fond of figs. They have a resonance chamber below their lower jaw. This chamber catches and amplifies their sounds. This chamber is how they got their name. They are quadrupedal and have a prehensile tail. They may hang from a branch by their arms or tail, but they do not swing through the trees. Instead, they walk on top of branches.

The average size of howler monkey groups is 18 individuals. There are more males than females in a group. Adolescent males often are found by themselves. Howlers are very territorial. They protect their territory from others by howling, shaking and breaking branches. They rarely fight. There is no clear dominante male, even during the time a female is sexually receptive. Males as well as females will help infants bridge a gap between two branches, or retrieve them if they fall.

Old World Monkeys
Old World Monkeys live in Africa and Asia. They are found in many different climates, from tropical forests, to deserts, to ice covered lands in Japan. They are all quadrupedal, arboreal and terrestrial. Two fat pads, covered with hard skin, are found on either side of the tail. The pads are called ischial callosities, and are thought to make sitting on rocks and branches more comfortable. The nostrils are narrow and point downwards. They have tails, but they do not have prehensile capabilities.

Baboons
Baboons occupy a wide variety of ecological zones in Africa and Asia. They are omnivorous, with a diet consisting of fruit, grass, roots, insects, and meat. A very large upper canine is present in the males. The muzzle shaped snout is not related to smell, but to the space needed for the canine root.

Baboons spend roughly 30% of their time in trees. The rest of the time is spent on the ground. In the evenings, they all return to trees or rock cliffs
to sleep.

Baboons live in large troops that can be as large as 200 individuals. The average size for a troop is closer to 40-80 individuals. There are more females in a group than males. There is a dominance hierarchy between both the males and the females. The highest-ranking male of the group is dominant over all other males and females. He usually will have one or two other males, ranking second and third, who help him maintain order. Adolescent males leave their natal group and find another one to join. The females stay with the group that their mother belongs to. There is a ranking system between the females that is established at birth. A daughter assumes the rank just below her mother. The ranking of the females is stable, whereas with the males it frequently changes. The dominant male is challenged by other males who want to be in the highest-ranking position. These challenges often lead to fights and injuries. Baboon behavioral studies have shown that friendships are an important aspect of male, female and infant relationships.

Colobus
The Colobus monkey lives in tropical and montane forests in Africa. They are what are called foliovores. As a result of their leaf diet, their stomachs have become enlarged. The special shape and size of their stomach allows them to eat the large quantity of leaves required for nutrition, and improves their ability to digest the leaves.
Colobus Monkeys are quandrupedal, and have been observed climbing and walking along the tops of branches. Occasionally, they may hang under a branch by their arm. Their long tails are used for balance.

They live in groups of 15 individuals. However, this number can vary. Males are dominant over females, but there is not a strict ranking system.

**Did you know

The smallest primate is the Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus) and the Pgymy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), who weigh only about 100g
or less each.

The largest primate is the Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), which can weigh over 200kg.