Greater bamboo lemur

Description

The greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus),also known as the broad-nosed bamboo lemur and the broad-nosed gentle lemur,is the largest bamboo lemur,at over five pounds or nearly 2.5 kilograms.It has greyish brown fur and white ear tufts,and has a head-body length of around one and a half feet,or forty to fifty centimeters.They have relatively long tails and long back legs for leaping vertically amongst the trees of their forest habitat.It feeds almost exclusively on the bamboo species of Cathariostachys madagascariensis,preferring the shoots but also eating the pith and leaves.It is unknown how their metabolism deals with the cyanide found in the shoots.The typical daily dose would be enough to kill humans.Greater bamboo lemurs occasionally consume fungi,flowers,and fruit.Its only confirmed predator is the fossa,but raptors are also suspected.Its current range is restricted to southeastern Madagascar,although fossils indicate its former range extended across bigger areas of the island,including as far north as Ankarana.Some notable parts of the current range are the Ranomafana and Andringitra National Parks.