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Lemur

The "Pre-Monkey": As a presimian, a primate suborder that means "pre-monkey," the lemur has a black, doglike snout. Their sense of smell is acute and specially designed eyes facilitate night vision. Lemurs have long bodies, long limbs and bushy tails, and come in a variety of colors — brown, black, red and even white. They live mainly in trees, running and leaping from branch to branch.

Curious Calls: Lemurs communicate with each other through a series of calls. Some lemurs, such as the indri, produce loud wailing calls to mark their territory while the sifaka defines its home range with "shi-fak" calls that sound like hiccups. Lemurs are endangered due to deforestation.

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MORE LEMUR

SITE: Lemur Kingdom

TOP 10: Top Animal Hissy Fits

PHOTOS: Lemur Photos

SPECIES: Ring-Tailed Lemur

SPECIES: Ruffed Lemur

PUZZLES: Lemur Puzzles

DID YOU KNOW?

Married to Madagascar: All 90-some species of lemur are native only to the island of Madagascar off the coast of Africa.

Not a Good Mix: A third of the lemur population has gone extinct since humans settled Madagascar.

Ladies in Charge: In lemur society, the females are the dominant members of the social hierarchy. This social structure is seldom seen among mammals.