THERE IT
IS!
By J.E.
Rogers
Lemurs
are indigenous to Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa. They are
stunning, come in various sizes and colors, and most species are endangered.
Red Ruffed Lemur
Photo credit: http://www.lemurreserve.org
This
week, we’ll discuss one lemur in particular, the Indri (Indri Indri). The Indri
is the largest of all lemur species and the only one without a tail. The local
Malagasy tribes called out ‘indri, indri’ when pointing out this species of
lemur to European naturalists who arrived in Madagascar to study it. ‘Indri,’
in local tongue simply means ‘there it is’ hence its name.
Also,
the tail-less aspect of the Indri has caused another local tribe, the
Betsimisaraka, to refer to the Indri as babakoto, which means ‘ancestor of
man.’ The Betsimisaraka people believe
that it is an ancient ancestor of their people. As a result of this belief,
hunting of the Indri is considered taboo, and the Indri, therefore, does have
some protection. Despite this, the Indri, according to the IUCN* Red List, is
critically endangered.
Photo credit: Kevin Schaefer via
Arkive.org
The
Indri is a stunning black and white lemur. It’s very athletic. Their legs are
so powerful that the Indri can easily travel upright between trees. They can
leap up to thirty-two feet from tree to tree. It typically jumps from
one tree trunk to another, holding their arms out to encircle the tree and
complete their jump. They have short, round, tufted ears, long legs, and short
arms. Their opposable big toes and thumbs are separated from the other four
digits, which are webbed. All of these attributes combine to make life in the
trees possible for the Indri.
Red-Fronted Brown Lemur
Photo credit: Photo Ark - Joel Sartore
In the following video, you will see the Indri's skills at jumping and hear their eerie call. You will also learn a bit from the
inestimable David Attenborough as he discusses this marvelous creature.
Indri range
Populations
of the Indri, which prefer living in coastal regions, are fragmented. Habitat fragmentation
of any animal population leads to less habitable space, which then has a
direct effect on population growth. Another factor effecting the survival of
the Indri is that it takes nine years for the lemur to mature and after
maturity, the female will give birth to one offspring every two to three years.
Combine this with an infant mortality rate of fifty percent, and it is clear
why there is a severe problem with population growth.
So what
is habitat fragmentation? It is the destruction by humans, of a continuous
chunk of habitat by cut clearing or burning. People do this to either create
agricultural areas for farming, extend urbanization or for the collection of resources
that may be available in that habitat. To read more about habitat fragmentation and its effect on the environment, visit the following site: http://wildflowerturfblog.wildflowerturf.co.uk/2012/02/16/habitat-fragmentation/
The result of habitat
fragmentation.
The
Indri is diurnal and will travel in groups of 300 to 700 animals in search of
fruit. They are two to two and one-half feet tall and can weigh between
thirteen and twenty pounds. Leaves are a major part of their diet, new shouts
being the most desirable. They will also eat fruit, seeds, and flowers.
Photo credit: ©Nickgarbutt.com via https://www.aardvarksafaris.co.uk/
Although
there are conservation efforts in place, one major problem remains to be
solved. The Indri does not do well in captivity. As a result, breeding programs
to reintroduce this species into the wild may fail. Also, the mere fact that Madagascar
is an island is a huge stumbling block. There is simply nowhere for the animals
to go.
Thank
you for stopping by to read my post and for considering the status of this
marvelous mammal. Please come by again, leave a comment, or share.
*IUCN =
International Union of Conservation of Nature
To learn
more about the Indri, visit the following sites:
Enjoy!
Jeanne E.
Rogers, Award Winning Author
The Sword of
Demelza, The Gift of Sunderland and
One Hot Mess, A
Child’s Environmental Fable
Where Endangered
Animal Heroes Roam the Pages!
COMING SOON!
Kohana, A Native American Creation Myth
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