Size : 5.5 pounds, 15 inches long, tail over 20 inches long.

Lifespan : 30 years.

Breeding : Mating June-July, Gestation 120 days, usually 1-2 young born.

Habits : Live in groups of 3-12.

Diet : Leaves, flowers, fruits, or insects.

    The lemur is considered to be a lower primate because of its small size.  Its name means "ghost" in a local language. Living in small groups, it usually is active during the day.  It is slender bodied and long-limbed with thick, wooly fur and a long tail.  Its upper body is grayish to dark brown, with white or orange whiskers. It has forward facing eyes and binocular vision.
    Neither male nor female is dominant.  The female will spend most of her life in the group into which she was born.  The male will transfer several times during his life from one group to another.
    The lemur protects its territory by wagging its tail and grunting at predators from the ground.  It gives a loud alarming bark when danger is near. A lemur also responds to disturbances with a long rattling cough and has the ability to jump 16 feet in the distance to avoid danger.  A baby lemur clings to its mother's belly for the first few weeks after birth, then it rides on her back.  Because of habitat loss, a number of lemur species are endangered.