About Mongoose Lemurs
The smallest species of their genus, mongoose lemurs weigh 1.1-1.6 kilograms (about 3 pounds). They are sexually dichromatic, meaning that fur color varies by gender. Males have reddish-brown cheeks and beards which frame their gray muzzle and face. Females, by contrast, have white or creamy gray cheeks and beards, and they tend to be a lighter gray overall. Males also have a darker tip of the tail, with a dark pygal (rump) patch and a creamy ventral (stomach) coat.
Adult mongoose lemurs use two main forms of locomotion. They walk on all fours when traveling through branches or on the ground. Usually, they only walk on the ground to travel from tree to tree or bush to bush, as they spend most of their time in the trees.
When mongoose lemurs want to move quickly between trees, they use their powerful hind limbs to leap from branch to branch or tree to tree. Infants hold tightly onto the mother while they travel. As infants grow larger, they begin to travel on all fours and eventually build up the strength to leap.
Mongoose Lemur at the Akron Zoo
The mongoose lemurs live in the Akron Zoo’s Madagascar building in the Legends of the Wild area.
- Silvio – male, born on March 24, 2013
- Sava – male, born on March 20, 2017 to Silvio