The largest animal species in Madagascar. A cute monkey living in Madagascar is an endemic animal.

Indri monkeys are relatives of lemurs. Another name for this species of primate is babakoto. Funny name, isn't it?

In the local language, the name “indri” means “here he is.” May be. This monkey looks so amazing that when people noticed it, they tried to show it to each other?

These monkeys are the largest among the representatives of the infraorder of lemurs living in Madagascar. Indris belong to the order of primates, the Indriidae family. Let's try to find out more about these lemurs.

Appearance of babakoto

Indri monkeys can weigh up to 9.5 kilograms. The body length of the animal is from 64 to 90 centimeters. This is not so little for a monkey.

The indri has a short tail. The limbs are different: the hind limbs are much longer than the front ones. Depending on the area of ​​residence, coat color may vary. But the main colors are gray, white and black. Often, a light triangle stands out on the back of a babakoto. The fur on the head and back is black. There is no fur on the face at all.

Indri habitats

Babacoto live on the island of Madagascar. They are mainly found in the northeastern region.

Indri lifestyle and nutrition

These lemurs prefer rain forests. There they can live up to an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. But the Indris love the lowlands more.

Indris are relatives of lemurs.

The main part of the babakoto's life is spent in trees. These animals have almost no need to descend to the ground. And why would they do this? After all, trees have everything they need to live.

Babacoto move spasmodically, both on the ground and along branches, for this nature provided them with long hind limbs.

Indris are more active during daylight hours. At night they can leave their lodgings only if in the forest bad weather, or if they were being stalked by a predator. During the day, indris bask under the warm Madagascar sun, lounging on a tree branch.

Babakotos are herbivores.

Social structure is such that these monkeys form small groups to live together. In such a community there are no more than five individuals. As a rule, the members of the group are a female with a male and their babies. In this family, the female is considered the main one, and the male is assigned a secondary role.

One more distinctive feature The Babakoto monkey is known for its loud singing. She loves to sing her songs throughout the forest, especially in the morning. Sometimes such “concerts” are heard in the forest a couple of kilometers from the place where the “singer” is located.

Babacoto's diet consists of plant foods. These primates feast on ripe fruits, leaves, and flower petals. Sometimes, to prevent poisoning from poisonous leaves, indris swallow a handful of earth, which absorbs all the toxins in the body.

Reproduction

The pregnancy of a female babakoto lasts about five months. After which one baby is born. For the first six months, the baby eats only mother's milk. After weaning and living for a couple more months, the young indri becomes independent. Puberty in young animals occurs at seven to nine years of age.

Among the features of the Babakoto relationship, researchers note exceptional fidelity to each other in a couple.

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Madagascar is sometimes called the land of lemurs. By the way, the first Europeans who came to the island found these animals with glowing eyes frightening. Watching them night look life and slow movements, the scientist Carl Linnaeus remembered the legends of Ancient Rome about the souls of the dead who could not find peace and named the animals in their honor - lemurs. We want to tell you about what other mysterious things Madagascar is full of.

website I am convinced that this not fully explored island is a real treasure for miracle seekers. Spiders here weave golden webs from which fabric can be made, sorcerers control the destinies of people, and nature amazes with its contrast and diversity.

Fact #1: Madagascar broke away from India, not Africa

135 million years ago, the supercontinent Gondwana broke apart, separating a portion including India, Madagascar and Antarctica from South America and Africa. A about 88 million years ago Madagascar separated from India. Thanks to long-term isolation, a completely unique flora and fauna arose on this island.

Fact No. 2: Madagascar's culture has a bit of France and the Arab East

The settlement of the island lasted from about 200 BC. e. before 500 AD e. People arrived in Madagascar by kayaks from the Greater Sunda Islands, in particular from the island of Borneo. They cut down and burned large areas tropical forests for growing cultivated plants.

Between the 7th and 9th centuries, Arab traders appeared on the island. From them, part of the population adopted Islam, writing and other elements of culture. Some tribes, like Muslims, do not eat pork.

In the 10th–11th centuries, Bantu-speaking migrants from Africa and Indian traders arrived in Madagascar. . Exactly thanks to the latter, local cows (zebu) and rice appeared on the island.

Later, the Austronesians arrived on the island, European pirates took a fancy to it, and the French made it a colony. From the latter, the local population adopted a love for baguettes and vanilla.

Near 90% of all species of Madagascan plants and animals are found only on this island. Because of this, some ecologists call it the eighth continent. Some animals really look like creatures from another planet. Here you can find such strange animals as tenrecs, and such creepy creatures as the Madagascar bat, which uses its long middle finger to pick out insects from the tree and tidy up its fur.

Madagascar little arm (ouch).

Not only snakes hiss here, but also huge cockroaches. And a giant rat, up to 33 cm long, can jump 91 cm in height.

There is also golden spider, females of which reach 12 cm in leg span. The existence of this species was not known until 2000. Female golden weavers weave a web of golden threads more than 1 m long. This web is strong enough that it was even possible to weave 3 m of golden fabric from it, which is kept in the museum.

Fact #4: Instead of creams and masks, women paint their faces

Some Madagascan women paint colorful patterns on their faces with white and yellow paint. This paint is made from crushed tree bark and is applied not only for decorative purposes. Its purpose is protect skin from sun and insects, in particular mosquitoes. It is also believed that such paint improves the condition of the skin, that is, it serves as an analogue of a cream or face mask.

Fact #5: There are no hippos, lions or giraffes on the island

There are red owls, iguanas, boa constrictors, many species of chameleons and lemurs, and other unusual animals. But there are no penguins, lions, hippos, zebras or giraffes. You will also not see elephants, hyenas, antelopes, rhinoceroses, buffalos, monkeys or camels here.

The absence of these animals is explained in the same way as the presence of unique species: centuries-old isolation of the island. The only ones large mammals, who ended up on the island were hippos. Several species originated from them, but they also became extinct long ago.

Sifaka is one of the species of lemurs found in Madagascar.

Fact #6: Madagascans dance with the dead

Some Malagasy tribes (the main population of Madagascar) have an eerie tradition. Once every 5–7 years, they take their dead relatives out of their crypts, dress them in a new silk shroud, and dance with them to music. Famadihana tradition - "turning the bones"- is based on the belief that the spirits of the ancestors will join the world of the ancestors after the complete decomposition of the body and the appropriate ceremonies.

Relatives from all over the country come to perform the ceremony. During Famadihana, Malagasy people have fun and make offerings to the dead: alcohol or money.

Fact No. 7: All decisions are made only after the approval of the sorcerers

In choosing the day for marriage, the beginning of building a house and any other vital events Malagasy people turn to the sorcerer - umbiasi. It also helps determine whether the couple will be compatible and will help carry out the necessary ritual. Umbiasi are also healers; they know the properties of plants and tell them how to care for the sick.

For fortune telling, sorcerers use corn grains or fruit seeds. They also sell talismans made from dried vegetables, animal teeth or glass beads.

The landscapes of Madagascar are varied and they change at every turn. On the island you can wander through the jungle and see baobab trees with huge trunks. In some places, the laterite content gives the soil a red tint. For this reason Madagascar is also called the Great Red Island.

One of the most impressive places in Madagascar - stone forest Tsingy du Bemaraha. Most of it is impassable for a person without special equipment, so these rocks have not yet been fully explored. Tsingy du Bemaraha is an inhabited place: there is a lot of vegetation and unique animals.

Fact #9: The birth of twins is considered bad luck and witchcraft.

The word “fadi” is used by the inhabitants of Madagascar to mean a taboo on some action, behavior or something (animal, natural object), which is considered sacred. Because of what many fadis arose, the Malagasy no longer remember, but they sacredly honor the tradition.

Interestingly, fadi differs among different tribes in Madagascar. Even individual families can have their own fadis. Among them there are both reasonable ones, for example, do not swim in a lake with crocodiles, and strange ones: ask for medical help.

And in the southeast of the island there are tribes in which women are not allowed to keep their twins. Residents see in them something like witchcraft and an omen of misfortune. That's why babies are abandoned in the forest. If the woman does not get rid of the babies, she will be kicked out of the village. The practice is now banned, although some traditional communities still do not follow the ban.

There are fadis that visitors should also observe. For example, it is not recommended to point your finger at the graves of your ancestors. You can only point at them with your fist or open palm.

Fact #10: Some tribes have a caste system.

The Antemoros make paper in the same way as they did many centuries ago.

Madagascar is very heterogeneous in population. There are 18 ethnic groups living on the island. They all have a unique dialect, their own traditions, national costume and beliefs.

The Famadihana ritual described above is typical for the Merina and Betsileo tribes, while other tribes have their own rituals. The Antadroi ethnic group, for example, has a much less gloomy, but at the same time radical tradition: after the death of a person, the inhabitants eat all his livestock and burn the house. This is how they protect their tribe from persecution by the spirits of their ancestors.

The Antemoro Muslim ethnic group, which is of Arab origin, has a caste system.. The Antemoro people are still involved in paper production. self made from bark mulberry trees. You can visit the Antemoro factory for free and even take part in the production of sheets yourself.

Fact No. 11: Many people don’t even have money to buy a newspaper.

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. On average, Malagasy people earn about $1 a day.. Approximately 70% of them suffer from malnutrition. It’s clear that with this level of income, even buying a newspaper seems like an unaffordable luxury. This often results in people spending more money on tombs than on their homes, building them out of stone and adding decorative finishes. This is due to the fact that the Malagasy people have a highly developed cult of ancestors.

Fact #12: Madagascar has its own rodeo

Crossword puzzle for schoolchildren “Animals”

(A) what species are depicted - 2) endemic species

(B) what group of evidence for evolution do they illustrate - 6) biogeographical

(B) type of insulation - 4) geographical

Answer: 264.

Allopatric species are species that are geographically exclusive of each other but usually occupy adjacent areas. For example, there are two independent species - the herring gull and the black-billed gull; The two species of nuthatches are so similar to each other in allopatric areas that only a specialist can distinguish them. But in areas where they live together, they have specific characteristics: one has a larger beak and black eye stripe than the other.

Endemics (from the Greek ἔνδημος - local) are taxa (animals or plants) whose representatives live in a relatively limited range. This characteristic of a taxon, such as living in a limited area, is called endemism. Endemism is contrasted with cosmopolitanism.

Paleoendemics are representatives of ancient taxa, as a rule, preserved to the present time due to the isolation of their habitat from more progressive groups. The most striking paleoendemics are the monotremes (Monotremata) and marsupials (Metatheria) of Australia.

The most famous living fossils are the fish of the superorder Crossopterygii, the coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), and the reptile of the order Rhynchocephalia, the hatteria (Sphenodon punctatum).

Neoendemics. Neoendemics include young species that formed in an isolated habitat. These include endemics of the British Isles, Crimea, and Lake Baikal. The most famous endemic of Lake Baikal is the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica).

Endemic species, due to their limited range and, therefore, limited numbers, are often listed in the Red Books as rare or endangered species.

The development of endemicity is most often associated with geographic isolation. For example, the earliest separation of Australia from the southern continent of Gondwana (more than 120 million years) led to the independent development of a number of animals. Without feeling pressure from predators, which are absent in Australia, the first animals (platypus, echidna, echidna) and marsupials (kangaroo, koala) have been preserved here.

— Endemic to the Ethiopian and Indo-Malayan regions. Pangolin

— Endemics of the Ethiopian region. Aardvark

A relict species is a species that has been preserved in any area as a fragment of fauna or flora that existed in past geological eras. Relict species are preserved in places where environmental conditions are similar to the conditions of their former wide distribution.

Some types of relict plants make up special relict landscapes.

Relict species are distinguished by age: relict species of the Mesozoic fauna, relict species of the Ice Age, etc.

Examples of glacial relics are marsh cinquefoil, growing in the Caucasus, and dwarf birch, preserved in central Europe.

Phylogenetic include such relict plants as ginkgo, megasequoia, horsetail, sciadopitis, vollemia, liquidambar, velvichia.

Relict organisms: hatteria; coelacanth; possum; ginkgo shoot; brachiopod lingula; crocodiles; cockroaches.

Note:

Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) is a living fossil (relict), endemic to the Comoros Islands and Madagascar.

That is, it applies to both endemics and relics.

The group of evidence is biogeographical.

Biogeography is a science that studies the patterns of geographical distribution of animals and plants and their groups, as well as the nature of the fauna and flora of individual territories. Biogeography is divided into zoogeography (geography of animals) and phytogeography (geography of plants). The study of the flora and fauna of various continents makes it possible to reconstruct the general course of the evolutionary process.

Endemic

This article is about endemism in the biological sense. About general concept see Endemicity; about this in folkloristics, see Endemic (folkloristics).

Endemics, or endems (pronounced; from the Greek ἔνδημος “local”) - specific component any flora or fauna. Endemics include species, genera, families or other taxa of animals and plants, the representatives of which live in a relatively limited range, are represented by a small geographical area. Endemic species of plants and animals, due to their limited range and, therefore, limited numbers, are often listed in the Red Books as rare or endangered species.

The richest endemic forms are oceanic islands, isolated mountain valleys and reservoirs isolated from other reservoirs with similar biotic characteristics. In particular, in the flora on the island of St. Helena, about 85% of the species are endemic, and on Galapagos Islands- up to 97%. In the fauna and flora of Lake Baikal - up to 75% are endemic.

Classification

Depending on the area there are:

• Stenoendemics
• Euryendemics
• Subendemics

The rarest and most interesting are stenoendemics, the distribution of which is limited to one mountain gorge or mountain range, or several such areas within one floristic region. An example of a stenoendemic is Mzymtella rigidifolia, which can be found only in a single place on Earth - on the banks of the Mzymta River in the Akhtsu Gorge. The Akhtsu Gorge is only 3 km long, and the width (along the bottom) is several tens of meters.

If the range of a species covers a larger territory, but does not go beyond its limits, then this species is classified as euryendemic. Stenoendemics and euryendemics are objects of priority protection, as they are carriers of the rarest and unique gene pool.

Another category of endemic species - subendemics (or conditional endemics) have habitats that extend beyond the boundaries of the study region into adjacent territories. For example, for mountain species this is the southern macroslope of the Greater Caucasus, for lowland species this is the territory of neighboring administrative units. These species also deserve special attention as protected objects.

Animal of Madagascar, 5 letters, 4 letter “U”, crossword puzzle

• "cat" animal
• Avagis, sifaka, indri
• In ancient Roman mythology, the spirit, the soul of the deceased
• Cook like an animal
• Vari like a primate
• Crowned primate (zool.)
• two-fifths of Madagascar's mammals are represented by this animal
• long-tailed primate
• Animal of Madagascar
• Primate animal
• Animal from Madagascar
• animal with the habits of monkeys
• this is exactly the name that one of the animals now bears, in Ancient Rome called an evil sage who persecutes people
• Katta, or cat...
• m. category of monkeys, semi-monkeys, poppies, which are more like dogs or foxes
• Madagascar prosimian
• Madagascar animal
• Madagascar primate
• maki or boil
• Maki like a half-monkey
• small primate
• the name of this animal means “the soul of dead ancestors”, as it scares people with its cry, reminiscent of the laughter of a person who has gone crazy
• A small semi-monkey with long tail
• A small animal of the tropical forests: a prosimian with a long tail and elongated hind limbs
• half monkey
• Prosimian of the primate order
• Prosimian of Madagascar
• prosimian with big eyes
• long-tailed prosimian
• primate in Madagascar
• Long-tailed primate
• Primate from Madagascar
• a primate reminiscent of French love
• primate similar to French love
• a primate in tune with the love of a Frenchman
• A primate in tune with the Frenchman's love.
• sacred animal in Madagascar
• Tropical animal with big eyes
• tropical animal with big eyes
• Tropical monkey-type animal

The most beautiful and amazing butterflies on Earth

Peacock's eye (Agalisio)

This is the most famous butterfly that fascinates people with its bright colors. On her wings nature painted four blue-black eyes with blue dots. With their color scheme they resemble the color of a peacock. The main color of the scales is bright red.

Express information on the country

The Earth is in third place in terms of distance from the Sun and in fifth place among all planets solar system to size.

Age – 4.54 billion years

Average radius – 6,378.2 km

Average circumference – 40,030.2 km

Area – 510,072 million km² (29.1% land and 70.9% water)

Number of continents – 6: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica

Number of oceans – 4: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic

Population – 7.3 billion people. (50.4% men and 49.6% women)

The most densely populated states: Monaco (18,678 people/km2), Singapore (7607 people/km2) and Vatican City (1914 people/km2)

Number of countries: total 252, independent 195

The number of languages ​​in the world is about 6,000

Number of official languages ​​– 95; the most common: English (56 countries), French (29 countries) and Arabic (24 countries)

Number of nationalities – about 2,000

Climatic zones: equatorial, tropical, temperate and arctic (main) + subequatorial, subtropical and subarctic (transitional)

The wingspan of this beauty is small, only 5.5 cm. The life expectancy of an individual is 9 months.

IN winter time the butterfly hides from the cold in tree hollows and cracks in the bark. With the arrival of spring, the Peacock's eye leaves its cozy shelter.

This species can be found in Eurasia and Japan. These butterflies are permanent residents of forest and park areas. They also live in the mountains, rising to a height of 2.5 km above sea level.

Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

The butterfly received this name due to the similarity of its color to the form of the admiral. Black or brown wings are decorated with red stripes. The velvet scales have small white circles that complement the bright geometric pattern.

The Admiral's wingspan is 5-6 cm. Like the Peacock's eye, representatives of this species live for about 9 months. This type is widespread throughout Eurasia and the islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

Admiral butterflies are real travelers. In winter, they do not hide from the frost, but fly away to warm countries. Insects travel great distances to see the sun and warmth.

Urania Madagascar (Chrysiridia)

This flying insect has a unique rainbow color that attracts the eye. Many connoisseurs of wildlife dream of examining Urania in detail in order to understand where exactly its attractiveness lies.

The scales of this insect shimmer in daylight, creating a rainbow effect. The surface sparkles green, blue, red and yellow. The unusual color of Urania has protective functions. He warns insect eaters that this butterfly is poisonous.

Nature outlined the edges of the wings of these creatures with snow-white lines, which give the appearance of the butterfly a finished look. Thanks to the white edges, the iridescent shimmer does not look too bright. The coloring of Urania is not always symmetrical.

The span of Urania's magical wings is 9 cm. At the ends there are long processes that give the butterflies a unique graceful appearance.

This species was discovered at the end of the 18th century by an English scientist named Drew Drury.

Urania Madagascar is a diurnal butterfly that likes to move long distances during daylight hours along with a flock of its relatives. When darkness falls, rainbow butterflies retreat together to a quiet and safe place to rest.

Atlas

The second name of this butterfly is Prince of Darkness. She loves the dark. Butterfly has big size. The wingspan of Atlas is 30 cm.

While the Prince of Darkness is in a caterpillar state, he gains strength. The caterpillar actively stores nutrients to feed itself when it transforms into a butterfly.

Many animals love to eat butterflies. Therefore, nature has come up with its own means of protection for these harmless flying creatures. If you look closely at the coloring of the Prince of Darkness, you will notice that the pattern on his wings resembles the head of a snake. Seeing a dangerous rival, the animals try to hide, mistaking the pattern on the insect's scales for a poisonous enemy.

Atlas cannot boast of a long life span. After birth, he enjoys this world for only 10 days, and then dies.

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae)

This insect can be found on the island of New Guinea. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing holds the record for wingspan among daytime butterflies around the world. In females it is 20-30 cm.

During daylight hours, Birdwings lead a fairly active lifestyle. They fly from plant to plant in flocks and alone. In the evening, butterflies look for a secluded place to rest.

The wings of this butterfly are a work of art. In females, light green stripes of various shades alternate with black areas. Externally, this insect looks like a green leaf tropical tree with rounded edges.

In males, the wings are up to 20 cm in size. They are colored blue-green.

This species was named after the wife of King Edward VII of England in 1907. After 100 years, there are very few of these butterflies left. The species is on the verge of extinction. The cause of the extinction was a major volcanic eruption that occurred on the island of New Guinea in the mid-twentieth century. Active deforestation also played a role.

Queen Alexandra's birdwing is the rarest and most beautiful species of butterfly. The government of New Guinea has banned their fishing and sale.

Madagascar comet (Argema mittrei)

This bright beauty received the status of the most long butterfly in the world. Its wings have a yellow-orange tint. Their peculiarity is that at the ends there are processes 20 cm long. That is why it was nicknamed “comet”. The butterfly loses these “tails” after the first 2-3 flights.

The life of the Madagascar comet is very short - only a few days. The butterfly does not have a digestive tract because it does not need food. The mouth is also missing. During the time that the Comet is in the caterpillar state, it accumulates a lot of nutrients. Moreover, her life is so short that it would be inappropriate to waste precious hours and days on meals.

Greta Oto

This insect occupies a special place in the list of the most beautiful butterflies. Her wings are transparent. That is why the second name of this beauty is Glass Butterfly. The “glass” scaly wings are edged with a red rim.

Greta Oto is a native of Mexico and Argentina. During her short life she manages to pollinate a large number of plants. Its wingspan is small, only 5 cm. Despite its compactness, this insect can travel about 12 km per day.

Greta Oto is a complicated butterfly. To escape from wild animals, she is forced to consume large quantities of poisonous leaves every day. Animals that feed on insects sense that the butterfly's body is inedible and pass by.

Based on materials from Topkin

Butterflies represent beauty for almost every person. These bright, graceful creatures, fluttering from flower to flower, are associated with the lightness and cloudlessness of existence. Butterflies are strikingly different from other representatives of their class. Many beautiful signs and legends are associated with them, which were born thanks to the extraordinary appearance of insects.

The brightest and most memorable representatives of the butterfly family live in the tropics and subtropics. But among the inhabitants of colder regions there are also worthy representatives.

Horizontally:

1. The animal that appears on the coat of arms of Australia.
2. Bird in a tuxedo.
3. A representative of amphibians with four limbs and a long tail, according to some beliefs - the keeper of fire.
4. Huge snake, who often performs in the circus.
5. Marsupial anteater.
6. Caribou.
7. The tallest animal.
8. This artiodactyl’s favorite pastime is blissful relaxation in a mud bath.
9. An animal similar to a pig, but with a proboscis.
10. Long-eared fox that lives in deserts.
11. A fleet-footed and ferocious animal of the forest, which was often hunted in ancient times.
12. Round, like a bun, the rodent has an elegant, yellowish-brown coat with black spots.
13. Representative of the weasel family.
14. Rodent with scary spines.
15. Gray robber.
16. Oblique.
17. Little deer graceful build.
18. An animal with valuable fur.
19. Forest giant.
20. An animal clad in the armor of a bone shell.
21. The lizard is an unsurpassed master of camouflage.

Vertically:

1. The most large rodent in the world.
2. An animal with a horn on its nose.
3. The animal is a hard worker.
4. A cute monkey that lives in Madagascar.
5. Large representative of the mustelid family, known for its large appetite.
6. Scavenger animal.
7. Tailless amphibian.
8. A beast of burden, but not a camel.
9. Large sea pinniped mammal.
10. Ringed, Baikal, Caspian.
11. In Africa she is kept as a pet, like a cat.
12. The gargle beast.
13. This is the only representative of mustelids that hibernates during the winter.
14. Marine artist.
15. And bamboo, and Himalayan, and spectacled, grizzly, etc.
16. Both fruit and bird.
17. An animal character from the cartoon “The Lion King” and one of the main characters of the animated television series “Timon and Pumbaa”, best friend Pumbaa the warthog.
18. Giant of the jungle.
19. Red-haired cheat
20. Sea canary or white whale.
21. Lazy animal.
22. Flying squirrel.

Answers.

Horizontally:

1. The animal that appears on the coat of arms of Australia (kangaroo)
2. Bird in a tuxedo. (penguin)
3. A representative of amphibians with four limbs and a long tail, according to some beliefs - the keeper of fire. (salamander)
4. A huge snake that often performs in the circus. (python)
5. Marsupial anteater. (nambata)
6. Caribou. (deer)
7. The tallest animal. (giraffe)
8. This artiodactyl’s favorite pastime is blissful relaxation in a mud bath. (hippopotamus)
9. An animal similar to a pig, but with a proboscis. (tapir)
10. Long-eared fox that lives in deserts. (fennec)
11. A fleet-footed and ferocious animal. (boar)
12. Round, like a bun, the rodent has an elegant, yellowish-brown coat with black spots. (lemming)
13. A member of the mustelid family, a domestic ferret. (fredka)
14. Rodent with scary spines. (porcupine)
15. Gray robber. (wolf)
16. Oblique. (hare)
17. A small deer of graceful build. (roe)
18. An animal with valuable fur. (sable)
19. Forest giant. (elk)
20. An animal clad in the armor of a bone shell. (armadillo)
21. The lizard is an unsurpassed master of camouflage. (chameleon)

Vertically:

1. The largest rodent in the world. (capybara)
2. An animal with a horn on its nose. (rhinoceros)
3. The animal is a hard worker. (ox)
4. A cute monkey that lives in Madagascar. (lemur)
5. A large member of the mustelid family, known for its large appetite. (wolverine)
6. Scavenger animal. (hyena)
7. Tailless amphibian. (toad)
8. A beast of burden, but not a camel. (llama)
9. Large sea pinniped mammal. (walrus)
10. Ringed, Baikal, Caspian. (seal)
11. In Africa she is kept as a pet, like a cat. (genet)
12. The gargle beast. (raccoon)
13. This is the only representative of mustelids that hibernates during the winter. (badger)
14. Marine artist. (dolphin)
15. And bamboo, and Himalayan, and spectacled, grizzly, etc. (bear)
16. Both fruit and bird. (kiwi)
17. An animal character from the cartoon “The Lion King” and one of the main characters of the animated television series “Timon and Pumbaa”, the best friend of the warthog Pumbaa. (meerkat)
18. Giant of the jungle. (elephant)
19. Red-haired cheat. (fox)
20. Sea canary or white whale (beluga whale)
21. Lazy animal. (sloth)
22. Flying squirrel.(squirrel)

Like the big animal lover in everyone new country, in every new city I try to mandatory visit the local zoo.

I can note that there is always no crowd around the enclosures with lemurs, these cute, funny animals are so popular among children (and adults also watch them with great interest).

Lemurs are perhaps the most exotic of the primates, the largest group of prosimians. Interest in them is explained by their external attractiveness: unusual, very bright and motley fur, cute fox faces and an unusually long and thick tail in comparison with the body.

The eyes of lemurs are located on the sides of the muzzle, and not facing forward, like in monkeys and humans, so lemurs usually look at objects with one or the other eye, and monkeys, like people, look with both eyes at the same time. Due to this, the vision of monkeys and people is clearer, more distinct, they can better determine the distance between objects, which is very important when jumping from branch to branch.

The size of lemurs, including a long fluffy tail, is approximately 10 to 50 centimeters, and their weight is from 50 grams to 2 kilograms. That is, the smallest lemurs can easily fit in the palm of a person.

On the head, in addition to well-developed bare ears, two large eyes stand out. The body is covered with thick soft brown fur.

The paws of lemurs are designed for grasping and climbing trees, pay attention in the photographs - the paws look like a palm with several suction cups. And on the second finger they have a special long claw, which monkeys use to comb their fur.

Surely, there is no person (especially a mother with a small child) who did not admire the little funny lemurs in the cartoon “Madagascar”!

In fact, in wildlife Lemurs live only in Madagascar (which is also called Lemuria) and the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa, and Madagascar is not their homeland.

These islands were formed several million years ago, breaking away from the African mainland. The separated part of the land took with it the animals that lived on it, which began to develop in isolation from the rest of the world. This is how the unique island fauna of Madagascar (the fourth largest island in the world) was formed.

Only here and on the nearby Comoros Islands do lemurs live - the ancestors of modern monkeys. Lemurs once lived in Africa, but now they have disappeared from this continent. Unfortunately, deforestation and land plowing have deprived these rare animals natural environment a habitat.

Lemurs could cross here on logs or on rafts of floating vegetation, clinging to branches washed by the waves with all four paws.

During periods of lowering sea levels, narrow strips of land probably appeared, connecting the island with the mainland. It is impossible to say for sure whether the migration of lemurs to the island was one-time or multiple.

The smallest lemurs are so reminiscent of small African galagos that it can be assumed that they had common ancestors in the recent past, or perhaps both of these groups remained in the niche of the most ancient primates.

Currently, lemurs are endangered animals... the reason for this is people who have reached Madagascar. Additionally, about half of the lemurs born each year die.

Therefore, poachers who take lemurs from their habitats bring great evil and call into question the continued existence of lemurs on the planet.

Lemurs are related to monkeys, monkeys and humans.

There are 28 species of lemurs. Prosimians, unlike true monkeys, did not go very far from their insect-eating ancestors. Therefore, they retained many of the primitive traits of their relatives.

The word “lemur” means “ghost”, “ghost”, “spirit of the deceased”. And in fact, when you see their blurry silhouettes flashing in the night forest of Madagascar, and the darkness is filled with lingering, mournful cries, it seems that you have found yourself in the other world.

A appearance Some nocturnal inhabitants of the forest cause superstitious horror. Huge, saucer-like eyes, looking either with fear or with pity, and fingers - long, thin, with terrifying-looking claws.

Lemurs have elongated muzzles, similar to those of a fox or dog, with special sensitive hairs - vibrissae. All lemurs are distinguished by close-set large eyes and a long, fluffy, flexible tail, with which they cling to branches as they move through the trees.

The brain of lemurs is not very large; there are very few convolutions on it.

Depending on the species, lemurs are more active at night, during the day, or at dusk. They move quickly and freely both on the ground, leaning on their front paws, and along tree branches, gracefully flying from branch to branch, clinging to them with their tail.

Lemurs feed mainly on plant foods - plant shoots, leaves, fruits, flowers. A special delicacy for them is the eggs of birds and other small animals, which they obtain by destroying nests. The lower front teeth of lemurs form a so-called dental ridge, which helps them chew food.

Lemurs live in packs, which can include up to 20 individuals. There are no leaders in packs; they consist of an arbitrary number of males, females and cubs.

The baby lemur is born helpless, blind and deaf, and clings to its mother's fur on its belly for almost three weeks. Having become a little stronger, the cubs move onto their mother’s back. In this position, the little lemurs move around while the mother collects food and feeds them. But from the age of six months, lemurs begin to take care of themselves, and from the age of one and a half years they can have their own offspring.

One of the most famous and beautiful views- ring-tailed lemur catta. It lives in the dry, hilly areas of southern Madagascar. His characteristic feature is a striped black and white tail, reminiscent of a traffic controller's baton. It has 28 rings!

Katta live in the forest and, although they climb trees well, most time spent on earth. These lemurs live in groups of 5 to 20 individuals and lead daytime look life. The leading position in such groups is occupied by female cats. Males sometimes move from one group to another, but females always stay together.

Eating ring-tailed lemurs various fruits, leaves, flowers, drink tree sap.

An angry lemur rubs its tail with carpal musk glands and thrashes it on the back, showering its opponent with waves of its scent. They use the smell of this secret to scare away rivals.

The catta lemur, like most other lemurs, has a toilet claw on the second finger, which is convenient for combing out fleas and tidying the fur. The remaining fingers of prosimians no longer have claws, like other animals, but also not real nails, like those of great apes, and claw-shaped nails.

Suborder lower primates in Madagascar it is represented not only by the lemur family, but also by dwarf lemurs and bats.

TO dwarf lemurs include fat-tailed and mouse lemurs. The body length of the fat-tailed lemur does not exceed 25 cm and is equal to the length of the tail. The fat-tailed lemur spends the day on the tops of tall trees or in hollows, where it builds spherical nests.

The mouse lemur family consists of three genera. A special feature of mouse lemurs is the unique structure of their feet, which allows them to make large and high jumps. This helps them get food and hide from enemies, which in natural conditions are hawks. There are very few representatives of this subfamily left, all of them are listed in the International Red Book.

Mouse lemurs are small animals, the size of a child's fist, that live in trees and are nocturnal. They feed on fruits, leaves, insects, small birds and possibly honey. During drought, these lemurs can hibernate. The source of energy during hibernation is fat, which lemurs accumulate in their tail. Mouse lemur builds nests less often, preferring to live in unfurnished hollows.

The smallest lemur is the mouse microcebus. Its length is only 13 centimeters, but its tail-rudder is much longer than its body and catching up with such a “mouse” is not very easy! The baby weighs only 60 grams, and the microcebus baby is simply weightless - 3-5 grams!

The gentle lemur is a little animal more cat, lives in small groups, often in bamboo thickets. Despite laws protecting these rapidly endangered primates, local residents capture them for sale or even just for food.

The dwarf lemur is the smallest of the primates, no larger than a mouse! During the day it sleeps curled up in the nest, and at night it feeds mainly on insects, as well as nectar and fruits.

Hairy indri (avagis) This nocturnal furry animal with large eyes sleeps during the day, curled up on the fork of a branch or hugging a tree trunk and pressing its whole body against it.

The short-tailed indri is one of the large prosimians and lives in the humid mountain forests in the northeast of the island. They often “sing” in chorus: the result is long, melodic sobs. Locals They honor these animals, calling them “babakoto”, which means “progenitor”.

The vari lemur is the largest lemur. He is the only real lemur that builds nests in which the female gives birth to cubs, having previously plucked the hair on her sides and covered the nest with it.

The sifaka lemur flies in jumps of up to 10 meters. He jumps through the trees, pushing off from the branches only with his hind legs, his arms straighten out like a spring, and his “arms” are thrown forward.

The sifaka lemur has a fold of elongated skin stretching from the palms to the armpits, which helps it glide. But the sifaka pays for its ability to fly spectacularly with its inability to run on all fours. So you have to move on the ground in jumps, the length of which, however, can reach 4 meters!

Typically these animals live in families of about 12 individuals. They can easily find food for themselves - fruits or leaves - and spend most of their time sleeping on the upper branches of trees.

Indri is one of the largest of the lemurs, it can reach 75 cm in length.

The main enemy of lemurs is the fossa - the largest predator in Madagascar, a relative of civets and genets. Unlike spotted civets, the fossa has a uniform brownish color.

And in conclusion, I would like to say that recently many pet lovers have become very active in buying lemurs, because they are not only very exotic, unusual and cute animals, but also extremely friendly!

But... this is a topic for another conversation!