If you've never seen a lemur, you're missing out on a great part of life. Lemurs are primates, specifically prosimians (along with lorises, bushbabies, etc., and opposed to anthropoids, which are monkeys, apes and humans). They are adorable and can be so humanlike it's scary. Lemurs are found only on Madagascar, and unfortunately, they are quite endangered.

Duke University Primate Center does a lot of research on lemurs. Their research is behavioral, and they are trying to learn how to help save these animals in the wild. They have a captive breeding program and have successfully bred many primates, including prosimians other than lemurs. With their help and the help of places like them, we can keep the lemurs from going extinct. You can help - adopt a lemur from DUPC today! Or contact them for other ways to help.

Why do I like lemurs so much? Well, if you watch them for a while, you can't help it, and I have. I majored in Biological Anthropology at Duke, and I had classes at the primate center and did research there. I studied red-ruffed lemurs, one of the most beautiful and friendliest kinds. Red ruffeds are unusual because daughters are dominant over their mothers and can kick them out of the group when they come "of age." I studied the interactions of two family groups, both of which contained daughters. One of those groups is in an outdoor enclosure (several acres of forest), so they could get up close and personal if they so chose. I had lemurs exploring my bookbag, tasting my pen, and other such antics. The most memorable moment was when one of the animals plopped down beside me, grasped my finger (much like a human infant does) and started licking my hand. Needless to say, when I graduated and adopted a lemur, I adopted one from my study group.

If you're still not sure what's so great about these guys, explore the Duke University Primate Center homepage to learn more. They have info about lemurs, Madagascar, conservation efforts, and more, as well as lots of pictures, a gift shop, and the adopt-a-lemur program. They also have many links to conservation sites involving primates and Madagascar. You can also come hang out on the alt.fan.lemurs newsgroup, and after a few days you'll see the FAQ, which has all kinds of info, real and fun (you did know lemurs eat Twinkies and grape soda and swing on chandeliers screaming FRINK FRINK PTANG didn't you? :) And watch out for the cows!) There is also a lemur mailing list that is for more serious lemur discussion, though it gets maybe one message a month. The lemur lovers on the net even try to get together once a year at the Primate Center at a thing known as Lemurcon. (For general information and recaps of some past Lemurcons, go to Joao's Lemurcon page; and Vance runs a Lemurcon Yahoogroup with more past con info and news about future Lemurcons.) There's more lemur stuff out there - just go to HappyLemur.com! And of course, check out your local zoo to see these awesome animals in person!

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