Lemur Scientific Research
The Lemur is a very intelligent primate, and there is plenty of research out there to back that up. Being able to understand why they take part in various events is part of why they are studied. Through such research we are well aware of the overall value that family and socializing has for them.
They can be come depressed and not eat or engage in other activities if they are isolated. This is more so for the females as some males do prefer to be alone and they thrive well that way. The females can be highly aggressive and they are the dominant in some Lemur families. Plenty of research involves seeing how these interactions occur.
Grooming is very social for the Lemur families. Research shows that the grooming order has to do with the overall social statues of the members within it. The fighting within social groups can be come very intense.
Lemurs are very good at nurturing the young. However, in the wild more than half of the young die before they mature. This is often due to falls out of the trees. Other times they are victims of fighting within the family for food supplies or social status. When food supplies are lessened there is more tension and fighting for survival within the family dynamics.
A great deal of the Lemur research has to do with the fact that they are able to problem solve. A variety of tests may be conducted to see what their memory capacity is or how they will solve a given problem. They are very strategic and will try many things to accomplish what they set out to do.
Lemurs are able to make use of a variety of tools in captivity. Many of the research tasks involve giving them various tools. Then the Lemurs are observed to see what they will do with them. It is amazing how different ones can come up with creative ideas with the same tools offered.
They seem to become excited too when they are able to complete a task or use a tool to get the object that they want.
In captivity there may be some females given forms of birth control. This helps the entity to have control over the size of the families that will live there. Some of the females can be very aggressive and when they are on birth control they are less likely to become aggressive.
The Lemurs in captivity can become bored very quickly. As a result they need lots of stimulation in such an environment. When they get bored they can destroy their surroundings. This is why there are toys displayed for them or even food hidden that they need to go in search of. It is all part of keeping them entertained.
Studies show that Lemurs live very well in captivity. In fact, their life span greatly increases there. They can live up to 30 years in captivity versus 18 years in the wild (depending on the species).
A great deal of the Lemur research has been placed on the back burner for now though. This is due to the fact that some of the species are in danger of being wiped out. Some of them have desperately low numbers. Without aggressive forms of conservation in place they won’t be around for much longer.
