Avahi Woolly Lemur
Avahi (genus) is a genus of woolly indris, which are primates that inhabit Madagascar. There are nine species of these woolly lemurs and those are :
* Avahi betsileo
* Avahi cleesei
* Avahi laniger
* Avahi meridionalis
* Avahi mooreorum
* Avahi occidentalis
* Avahi peyrierasi
* Avahi ramanantsoavana
* Avahi unicolor
Like all other lemurs they live unfortunatelly only on the island of Madagascar.
Their body is of the size approximately from 30 up to 50 cm and they are heavy from 600 gr up till 1200 gr which makes them the smallest of lemurs. They have short and woolly fur. Their color is variation from gray brown to reddish and with white stripe on the back of thighs. Their tail is orange and long.
They have a round head with short muzzle and their ears are hidden in the fur.
Woolly lemurs can be found in both humid and dry forests and most of their life they spend on high branches of trees, surrounded by leaves. They are leaf eaters, strictly vegetarians but sometimes they honor themselves with buds and flowers and after meal enjoy long lazy naps while they digest their food.
They are family animals and live in groups from two to five lemurs (male and female with their parents and their children). Male and female live in pairs and they are faithful to one another. Cheating has never been demonstrated in Avahi species like it has been noticed to other kinds of lemurs. Female is carrying the pregnancy five months and birth usually occures in September. In the first few months that the baby lemur is born, it always rides on the back of mother and after six months it is totally adult and it is capable of independent life, although it will stay to live in proximity to mother. It is not known how many years lemurs live.The avahi lemur gives birth to only one baby lemur.
Resources
Lemurs (Pebble Books)
Lemurs: On Location (On Location Series)
Shadows in the Dawn: The Lemurs of Madagascar
In Search of Lemurs
Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide
Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Early Bird Nature Books)
Meet the Ring-Tailed Lemur (Scales and Tails)
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