lemur
noun/ˈliːmə(ɹ)/
Etymology From Latin lemurēs (“spirits of the dead”). The name was originally given to the red slender loris (then Lemur tardigradus) in 1754 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Linnaeus, the name was selected because of the nocturnal activity and slow movements of the red slender loris. In 1758, Linnaeus added, among others, the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) to the genus Lemur. All other species, including the red slender loris, were eventually moved to other genera. In time, the word became the colloquial name for all primates endemic to Madagascar.
Any strepsirrhine primate of the superfamily Lemuroidea, native only to Madagascar and some surrounding islands.
- "Lemurs are naturally very social," said Mukobi. "Wild lemurs live in big family groups, and different species do really well together. Plus, the new lemur habitat is quite large, so each family group can have their own space when they choose to."2018 November 9, “Red alert: New lemurs join zoo conspiracy”, in Oregon Zoo, retrieved 05 Nov 2019:
- Tucker-Brown explained how lemurs—like much of the “stranded” flora and fauna of Madagascar—are effectively living fossils. Belonging to a primate group called prosimians, lemurs were evolutionarily superseded by monkeys on mainland Africa 35mn years ago and driven to near-extinction.2025 July 5, Mike Carter, “Deep in the island ark”, in FT Weekend (Travel section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6:
Dated Any of the genus Lemur, represented by the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).
Obsolete A loris (Lemur tardigradus, now Loris tardigradus), predating the 10th edition of Systema Naturæ.
- Derived terms
30 terms
bamboo lemur, Bemaraha woolly lemur, black-and-white ruffed lemur, black lemur, Cleese's woolly lemur, dwarf lemur, fat-tailed lemur. fat-tailed dwarf lemur, flying lemur, fork-marked lemur, gentle lemur, giant mouse lemur, greater bamboo lemur, Groves' dwarf lemur, hairy-eared dwarf lemur, koala lemur, lemuriform, lemurlike, lemuroid, lemur-tail seahorse, Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, mouse lemur, ring-tailed lemur, ruffed lemur, Sanford's brown lemur, Sanford's lemur, slow lemur, sportive lemur, subfossil lemur, true lemur, woolly lemur- Related terms
- lemures, Lemuria
- Coordinate terms
- conspiracy