Twelve lemur facts, fact-checked
Lemurs are primates found nowhere else on Earth, and the most endangered group of mammals there is. Full profile in our lemur guide.
1. Madagascar only
Every wild lemur lives on Madagascar and nearby islands. Their ancestors likely rafted there on vegetation.
2. Around 100 species
From the mouse lemur at roughly 30 g to the indri at over 9 kg, filling niches occupied elsewhere by monkeys, squirrels and woodpeckers.
3. The most threatened mammals on Earth
The overwhelming majority of lemur species are threatened, giving them the highest extinction risk of any large group of mammals.
4. Females dominate
Female dominance is common across lemur species and rare among primates generally.
5. They have a toothcomb
Forward-projecting lower teeth used for grooming, plus a specialised claw on one toe for the same purpose.
6. Ring-tailed lemurs have stink fights
Males rub scent from wrist glands onto their tails and waft it at rivals — contests settled by smell.
7. Indri sing in duets
Family groups produce wailing songs audible for kilometres, coordinating pairs and marking territory.
8. The aye-aye taps for grubs
A thin elongated middle finger taps wood and listens for hollows, then extracts larvae — percussive foraging that fills the woodpecker niche.
9. Some hibernate
The fat-tailed dwarf lemur is the only known hibernating primate, spending months dormant.
10. Habitat loss is the core threat
Madagascar has lost a large share of its original forest to slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal production and logging.
11. Superstition kills aye-ayes
In some communities the aye-aye is regarded as an omen of misfortune and killed on sight — a conservation problem that requires cultural engagement, not enforcement.
12. Their fate is Madagascar's fate
Because they exist nowhere else, lemur conservation is inseparable from Malagasy forest protection and rural livelihoods.
Read the full lemur wildlife guide for IUCN status, population context and sources — or donate to WARN to help fund the partner teams protecting wildlife on the ground.
