Favourite lemur species

I've been fond of the aye-aye since childhood. It has the appeal of a bushbaby and the long fingers that sets it apart from most mammals. It was the animal I most wanted to see when I went to Madagascar, where I saw indris, sifakas, woolly lemurs and sportive lemurs etc in the wild. I had to wait until the following year to see an aye-aye - this time a captive in Paris.
 
Dassie rat said:
I've been fond of the aye-aye since childhood. It has the appeal of a bushbaby and the long fingers that sets it apart from most mammals. It was the animal I most wanted to see when I went to Madagascar, where I saw indris, sifakas, woolly lemurs and sportive lemurs etc in the wild. I had to wait until the following year to see an aye-aye - this time a captive in Paris.
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It is quite a singular and bewitching (not in the Malagasy "fodi" sense of course) animal isn't it ? It really does fascinate me too.

Seems like you also saw a fair number of lemur species during your time in Madagascar. Which one had the greatest impression on you ?
 
Dassie rat said:
I liked the call of the indri, but I suppose the lemurs that had the greatest impression on me were a pair of golden bamboo lemurs at Tsimbazaza, one of which was the type specimen of the species.
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I can well imagine why this species had that impact.

You are really lucky to have seen these, they are critically endangered and their days in the wild are most probably numbered.

This was in the wild or in captive conditions within Madagascar?
 
The indris were in the wild. Nearby, some trees were enclosed to try and adjust indris to captivity before they were exported to a zoo (Paris?). All the indris died, but the enclosure was still there when I visited. Some indris were transferred to a lemur park in Madagascar, but didn't survive long

The golden bamboo lemurs were caged.
 
Dassie rat said:
The indris were in the wild. Nearby, some trees were enclosed to try and adjust indris to captivity before they were exported to a zoo (Paris?). All the indris died, but the enclosure was still there when I visited. Some indris were transferred to a lemur park in Madagascar, but didn't survive long

The golden bamboo lemurs were caged.
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Ah I see, this must have been quite some time ago judging by the indri exportation to zoo thing ?

This was during the 1970's or 80's?
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
You beat me to it :p , this is also my favourite species of lemur.

Have you worked with them in captivity or in-situ conservation ?

What are they like to work with ?
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The one I worked with was in captivity. She was hand-raised so I don't think I had the usual "crowned lemur-experience". She was completely focused on humans and basically ignored her companions (a male troop of ring-tailed lemurs). Very nervous as well, and afraid to go outside (basically only when a keeper was present). Quite a sad sight to see honestly, but since her parents abandoned her, hand-raising was the only option.
 
Penshet said:
The one I worked with was in captivity. She was hand-raised so I don't think I had the usual "crowned lemur-experience". She was completely focused on humans and basically ignored her companions (a male troop of ring-tailed lemurs). Very nervous as well, and afraid to go outside (basically only when a keeper was present). Quite a sad sight to see honestly, but since her parents abandoned her, hand-raising was the only option.
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Very sad to hear that, but it does happen quite a lot and though not at all desirable as you say handraising is often the only option in these kind of situations.

Has the situation now improved for her ?
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Seriemas ? seriously ? o_O

Well you won't be disappointed with seeing seriemas, they have to be one of the easiest birds here to find / see.

In that sense they are a bit like the "seagull" of the Cerrado, they are absolutely everywhere. :D
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Well as I have never visited the Cerrado, that’s why they are missing, although I did hear one last year near Córdoba, Argentina.
 
Tetzoo Quizzer said:
Well as I have never visited the Cerrado, that’s why they are missing, although I did hear one last year near Córdoba, Argentina.
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It is just odd to me to hear that someone would want to come to Brazil specifically to see seriemas because they are just such a common bird.

But as I said you will most definitely see them here though you may eventually get sick of seeing them as they are everywhere.

Seriemas are actually a very popular bird here in Brazil and in many rural communities they sort of strut around peoples gardens like roosters totally unbothered by people and often fed by them.

The reason for this popularity is because they kill the venomous Jararaca and rattle snakes that people fear so they tend to prefer to have these birds around as "pest control".
 
Any suggestions for the best places for Trumpeters? (I promise to get this thread back on track by posting my wild lemur list soon!)
 
Tetzoo Quizzer said:
Any suggestions for the best places for Trumpeters? (I promise to get this thread back on track by posting my wild lemur list soon!)
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Well these are Amazonian birds so I think your best bet would be somewhere in the Amazonian rainforest but I can't give any recommendations of places to see them as I have never worked in that biome.

However, I don't imagine that this would be the most difficult bird in the world to see by any means and I'm sure that you will get lucky in seeing these and many other species besides.
 
Ok, first an apology, I haven’t seen Crowned Lemur in the wild, my mistake! However, the 13 species I have seen in one mad fortnight are
Rufous Mouse Lemur
Goodman’s Mouse Lemur
Crossley’s Dwarf Lemur
Zombitze Sportive Lemur
Petter’s Sportive Lemur
Grey Bamboo Lemur
Golden Bamboo Lemur (oh yes!)
Ring-tailed Lemur
Brown Lemur
Red-bellied Lemur
Eastern Woolly Lemur
Verreaux’s Sifaka
Indri
 
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