Lemurs of Madagascar

This video demonstrates the range of lemurs present in Madagascar and to show as many as possible of them in their natural habitats. Footage of 9 species is included, covering 4 of the lemur families as well as 3 subspecies of brown lemur and two types of variegated lemur. Some animals were filmed in captivity and some in the wild. The differences between wild and captive animals are emphasized because they are shown in both habitats. The influence of body size of animals and their social complexity on range, diet, social relations and reproductive patterns is emphasized. Many students will not have had the opportunity to see most of these animals except in captivity, this video emphasizes the difficulties of observation under free ranging conditions. As with the other comparative videos in this series, the material is organized to allow internal comparisons to be drawn at a number of levels. Also some shots are long enough to allow observers to make their own observations on social behaviors developing on screen. In this video we are provided with a wealth of information about size, habitat, range, sexual dimorphism, diet, and communication patterns. It can be used as a summary of the main families of lemurs, or a basis of comparison between prosimian and higher primates. The zoo footage of the rare Daubentonia-madagascarensis is among the first to be released. These animals have only been in research centers for a very short time and were only briefly filmed in the wild previous to that. The animals included in this video are the Indri, the brown lemur (3 subspecies) the red bellied lemur, the ring tail lemur, the grey gentle lemur, the variegated (ruffed) lemur (2 subspecies), the dwarf lemur, the brown mouse lemur and the aye aye.