Fun Bamboo Lemur Facts For Kids

In this article, we shall be talking about one of our relatives. Lemurs are also primate species like humans.

There are known to be more than 100 types of lemurs that inhabit the world. In this very article, we shall discuss the famous bamboo lemurs that inhabit the Madagascar islands. These animal species are all endangered and are under strict conservation.

Bamboo lemurs are medium-sized lemurs who are very beautiful. There are a lot of subspecies available of bamboo lemurs, such as the eastern lesser bamboo lemurs, the western lesser bamboo lemurs, the southern lesser bamboo lemurs, the Lac Alaotra lemurs, and the golden bamboo lemurs.

Golden bamboo lemurs are famous for their golden-brown fur present on their face and boy. They are herbivore species that mainly eat shoots of bamboo and a variety of leaves.

They indulge in mating during the months of May to June (peak season for reproduction), and the mothers give birth to their children around the month of November.

As they are endangered, they are protected in their habitat in the Ranomafana national park. In the Ranomafana national park, they are kept under strict supervision so that no intruder species can cause any harm to them.

Further in the article, we shall be discussing some interesting greater and golden bamboo lemur facts which will surely amaze you.

And if you enjoy reading animal facts, then do check out our cheagle facts and spiral-horned antelope facts pages.

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Bamboo Lemur Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a bamboo lemur?

The bamboo lemur is a kind of lemur, primate species that live in Madagascar. There are subspecies of the bamboo lemur which are the greater bamboo lemur, the golden bamboo lemur, and the eastern and western lesser bamboo lemurs.

What class of animal does a bamboo lemur belong to?

Bamboo lemurs are tree-dwelling species found in southeastern Madagascar island. The class, order, suborder, family, genus names are Mammalia, Primates, Strepsirrhini, Lemuridae, and Hapalemur, respectively. The scientific name of the golden bamboo lemur is Hapalemur aureus, and the scientific name of greater bamboo lemurs is Prolemur simus. They belong to the Animalia kingdom, phylum Chordata.

How many bamboo lemurs are there in the world?

All bamboo lemur species population are either vulnerable or critically endangered in the wild. It is estimated that there are around 100 to 160 greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus) species remaining in the fauna of Madagascar. And according to IUCN Red List, there are only around 600 golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) species left in the world.

Where does a bamboo lemur live?

Bamboo lemurs normally live in the trees and ground. These species are endemic to the Madagascar rainforests and lives in the bamboo forests there. They are now found in the Ranomafana national park, where they are protected.

What is a bamboo lemur's habitat?

Bamboo lemurs live in the rainforests of Madagascar and are protected in the Ranomafana national park. Now they are found in the forests of southeastern Madagascar. Earlier, they used to inhabit a larger portion of Madagascar, but due to the rapid fall in their population, they are left only in this small area.

Who does bamboo lemur live with?

Lemur species are social in nature. They happen in groups and feed at ease in their habitat. Golden bamboo lemurs are known to live in groups of two to six. They are slow creatures who nest together in their habitat.

How long does a bamboo lemur live?

Golden bamboo lemurs live up to a maximum age of around 12-18 years. Due to habitat destruction and ruthless predation, their population has dropped and they are now endangered. Now they are kept under guidance and care so that they can be saved from being extinct.

How do they reproduce?

The process of reproduction is similar in all bamboo lemur species. Bamboo lemurs are polygynous in nature.

In their breeding season, which starts from the month of May and lasts up to June, males indulge in the act of mating with multiple females. After the gestation period of 140-150 days, females give birth to their offspring. After their child's birth, the mothers look after them until they are a month (five or six weeks) old.

After that, the mothers care decreases, pushing the offspring towards independence slowly. In very rare cases, female lemurs give birth to two young.

What is their conservation status?

Bamboo lemur's population is at stake now. They are present in their habitat in countable numbers. According to the IUCN Red list, all bamboo lemurs species were Vulnerable and are Critically Endangered. There are 100-160 greater bamboo lemurs in the world, and around 600 golden bamboo lemurs live in the forest of Madagascar island.

Bamboo Lemur Fun Facts

What does a bamboo lemur look like?

The bamboo lemur is a primate species like the gorilla but smaller and slower. Bamboo lemurs are grey-brown furred species with small, round and hairy ears. They have a super long tail and dark palms and feet. The fur color may vary in different species, and the length and weight may also vary.

The greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus) is grayish brown-furred and weighs up to 5.5 lb (2.5 kg), while the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) is golden brown-furred and weighs up to 3.5 lb (1.6 kg).

How cute are they?

Bamboo lemurs are very cute and cuddly. But are angry at times also.

How do they communicate?

Bamboo lemurs communicate through their vocalization. Bamboo lemurs can raise a sharp, loud call to gather their species known as their contact call. Lemurs normally communicate through normal growls and purrs. They also create scent markings to aware others of their presence. Females with their young ones usually purr away other nearing species.

How big is a bamboo lemur?

Bamboo lemurs are tree-dwelling creatures whose size can vary among subspecies. They are medium-sized primates with brown fur and a long tail. The golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) grows to an average range of 11-17.7 in (28–45 cm).

The adult greater bamboo lemur's body length can reach up to 1-1.5 ft (30.5-45.7 cm).

How fast can a bamboo lemur run?

Golden bamboo lemurs or lemurs, in general, may be lazy primates but are blessed with a good movement speed. However, there is no exact data available about their movement speed.

How much does a bamboo lemur weigh?

Different bamboo lemurs have different weight range. The heaviest among them are the greater bamboo lemurs, who weigh up to a range of 5.5 lb (2.5 kg). The golden bamboo lemur weighs up to a maximum range of 3.5 lb (1.6 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no such specific names given to the lemur gender binary. However, female lemurs are casually called princess. But there are no such casual names attached to the male ones.

What would you call a baby bamboo lemur?

A baby golden bamboo lemur or any other lemur child is known as an infant or pup. They are small and extremely cute and wholly depend on their mothers for taking care of and supplying food.

What do they eat?

Golden bamboo lemurs are herbivorous animals that are endemic to the forest areas of Madagascar. They are naturally tree-dwelling primates who feed on various giant bamboo species. Some of their favorite food items are bamboo shoots and leaves. On an average day, they can be spotted sitting on trees and chewing on leaves.

Are they poisonous?

Lemurs are not poisonous. Bengal slow loris is one of the poisonous animals among the primates.

Would they make a good pet?

Not at all! Golden bamboo lemurs are strictly restricted to the wild. They are critically endangered species and are under conservation. So catching them may cost you penalty and imprisonment as well.

Did you know...

The greater bamboo lemurs are critically endangered species. But did you know that they are the most endangered primate species on Earth and are at the mouth of extinction?

In the wild, there exist a small number of around 60. And if we combine all their habitats, conserving centers, and all possible places they inhabit, we won't find more than 150 greater bamboo lemurs.

Golden bamboo lemurs, on the other hand, are also critically endangered but are more in numbers compared to the greater bamboo lemurs. Habitat loss was one of the sole reasons for their decrease in numbers.

What species of lemur can swim?

The Lac Alaotra gentle lemur can swim. These lemurs live in the reed beds of Lac Alaotra and, over time, have learned swimming.

How do the greater bamboo lemur care for their young?

After the gestation period, female gives birth to the young infant. The female takes full care of her baby by protecting it and supplying it with enough food until it's five to six weeks old. After that, the female's care towards its young decreases.

In order to make the infant fully independent and strong, the female behaves a little harshly. And after years, the child grows into an adult. The male species mainly walkout from their group.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these chacma baboon facts and eastern gorilla facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bamboo lemur coloring pages.

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