Mouse Lemur

The mouse lemur popularly known as Gray mouse lemur is a type of small lemur. The only place where you can track down this lemur is the island of Madagascar. Lemur is a Latin word which means ghost. I think the eyes of these nocturnal animals might have put the word lemurs on them. Most mouse lemurs have a combined body length (including head and tail) of less than 27 cm. This makes them the world's smallest primates. However, the weight of these animals fluctuates according to daylight. According to latest research, there are up to 18 species of mouse lemurs which have been found. However, wildlife experts say that there are chances that the number might be quite more. Due to their small size, it's very difficult to spot a mouse lemur which makes it more difficult to get a note of its various species.

Mouse Lemur Facts

Now that you know where these animals come from, let's understand them better by knowing some interesting facts.

• The most interesting facts about mouse lemurs is that in the olden days, they were associated as a symbol of spirits and ghosts because of their ability to hunt and because of their big eyes.
• Due to their varied color similarities, it's very difficult to distinguish between their different species.
• All mouse lemurs have a white color strip between the eyes, with a whitish ventrum and an orangish black head and tail.
• They have long tails and short limbs.
• Their habitat consists of woodlands and thick forests with lots of trees which makes navigation easy for them.
• They live in groups like most lemurs. Although, they are small in size mouse lemurs occupy an area of about 5 acres.
• They hunt for their foods at night and while sleeping, males and females sleep in separate groups which consists more than 10 members.
• As they are omnivores, their diet consists of variety of things. As the night approaches, they climb down and start hunting for food which includes plants, insects, fruits, berries and vegetables. You can also say that their diet changes according to their habitat and seasons.
• It's weird but their habitat is restricted only till Madagascar and as it is an endangered species, the laws to protect it are also very strict.
• Mating season for mouse lemurs begins from the month of September and lasts till March. The gestation period for females is only for 2 months.
• Female lemurs give birth to 3 young ones and takes care of the off springs until they are big enough to take care of themselves.
• The two big enemies of the mouse lemur are the Barn Owl and the Madagascar Tree Boa. Although they are major predators, this doesn't harm the population of the mouse lemur due to its high reproductive potential.

Mouse Lemur as Pet

It's a well-known fact that people like keeping different kinds of exotic pets at their homes. Dogs and cats are the pets that everyone keeps, how about doing something different this time. How about considering mouse lemur as pets? Lemurs are the best exotic pets that you can get for your home. They belong to the class of strepsirrhine primates and you can easily spot these amazing little animals at various pet shops across the US. It's always advised to get a male lemur than a female one because they are not domineering and are very easy to train. Taming mouse lemurs is not all hard and feeding them is also not a problem. Although it's necessary that you have variety in their food, consult a vet and get your lemur spayed to avoid any aggressive behavior from its side.

A mouse lemur can be a great option as a pet for your house. You can play with it all day long and it also takes minimum space to dwell. So go ahead and get this exotic pet for your house and have some good times with it.