Greater Bamboo Lemur

Prolemur simus

The Greater Bamboo Lemur is yet another one of the 22 different Lemur species found on the island of Madagascar. They are the largest of the Bamboo Lemurs, sporting an average body length about about 1.5ft. They are identified by their bright white ear tufts.

As their name indicates, these primates feed almost exclusively on Bamboo (98% of their diet!) They have very strong jaws that they use to strip the hard grass down, and amazingly, they can also eat the young leaves. Those same leaves are chock full of cyanide, yet the Lemurs show no ill effects towards them!

Another amazing thing about the Great Bamboo Lemurs is that everyone believed they were extinct during the first half of the 20th century. They were first identified in 1870, but were thought to be gone by around 1900. They were re-discovered in 1972, with tiny populations hiding out in two very small ranges.

They are currently listed as Critically Endangered, due to their tiny habitat zone and specialized Bamboo diet. That same area is also under threat of deforestation. It is estimated that less than 150 are still left in the wild. Surveys are being done, but they are tragically receiving very little protection from the local government.

IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Madagascar
Size : Body length around 18in (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Primates
Family : Lemuridae -- Genus : Prolemur -- Species : P. simus

Image : Save Nature

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

10 Years?!

My goodness! It's been 6 years since I went on hiatus, and now more than 10 years since AaD was born, and what a world we've moved in to! Animal a Day is coming back- but in the meantime, check us out on Facebook, for your daily dose of #BIRDNEWS

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Animal A Day!

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