Monkey-like but more foxy of muzzle, lemurs are called halb-affen (half apes) in German. Loris is Dutch for clown – and also the name Dutch sailors gave to a tribe of strange Asian primates.

Primates are grouped into two sub-orders – Anthropoidea, which includes monkeys, apes and humans, and Prosimii – the much more primitive primates. Prosimians fall into two primary groups – the lemurs, and the lorises and bush babies. They’re generally little animals with lengthy, bushy tails plus they reside within the tropical forests of Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia.

Most have lengthy, narrow muzzles with a naked and moist tip. Prosimians have flat nails on their fingers and toes – except for the second toe, which has a grooming claw. Their lower incisors and canine teeth grow forwards, nearly horizontally, to form a ‘dental comb’ – one more grooming adaptation.

Madagascan speciality

One of many lemur facts is that the lemur clan consists of 22 species, which are divided into four families: Lemuridae (correct lemurs), Cheirogaleidae (dwarf lemurs), Indriidae (indri and sifakas) and Daubentoniidae (aye-aye). Sharing a common ancestor with humans,’ lemurs branched off from apes and monkeys 35 million years ago to follow an evolutionary path.

Not very as clever as their relatives, lemurs have adopted a monkey-style role within the tropical forests of Madagascar and a couple of nearby islands – the only places they live. They are agile tree acrobats, often active during the day, and they reside in families and social groups. Numerous lemurs are struggling to survive as their forest habitats are destroyed. The largest lemur is the 80cm-tall indri and the smallest are the mouse lemurs – about 10cm lengthy plus a 12cm tail.

True lemurs

The family Lemuridae comprises three subfamilies: standard lemurs, – sportive lemurs and gentle lemurs. Weighing up to 5kg, they come in a range of colours from the greyish sportive lemur to humbug black-and-white ruffed lemurs. Males and females are about the same size but frequently sport different colours. All have bushy tails and longer hind limbs than forelimbs. True lemurs have black, pointed, moist-tipped snouts covered with sensitive whiskers.

They communicate by smell and all have scent glands to mark branches and other lemurs, plus they have forward-facing eyes and binocular vision. Some species are active by day and others at night. Lemurids also communicate by sounds. Typical lemurs, for example, make loud calls to signal danger and to maintain a healthy distance between neighbouring groups. Members within a group keep in contact with quieter calls. Typical lemurs move with agility on all fours via the thin outer branches of the tree crown, leaping a number of metres in between trees. The sportive lemur explores the canopy by jumping from one trunk to one more.