Fat Tails

Fat Tails

We spent our first night on the island exploring a forest near by. We managed to spot one of the smallest lemur species- the Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur! Edmond could hardly contain his excitement, good thing I kept him quiet because he would have scared them away.

Date: 3/6

Location: Madagascar

Fat Tailed Lemur Fun Facts:

• Fat tailed lemurs are solitary during the wet season.
• Fat tailed lemurs are nocturnal.
• They mark their territories by leaving feces on branches.

• During the fall, fat tail lemurs gorge themselves and store fat in their tails. They can increase their weight by 40%.
• During winter fat tailed lemurs enter a state of torpor- when their metabolisms slow down, their body temperatures drop and they are much less active.
• Fat tailed lemurs can live up to 6 months in torpor.
• They often share a den in a hollowed out tree with other fat tailed lemurs during the dry season when they are in torpor.

We were so glad we caught a glimpse of these shy little lemurs. It’s just time for them to find a good napping spot for the dry season. Yaaaawn, speaking of naps- we need one after staying up all night.