·       Indris are the largest lemurs.

·       Indri literally means “There it is!” in Malagasy, one of the official languages of Madagascar.

·       Indris bark and howl.

·       In former times indris were considered holy animals and people believed that their deceased loved ones were reincarnated as indris. 

Description

Indris have thick, silky fur that can be either black, white, grey or brown. Females tend to be slightly larger than males. They have large ears, long hands and a very short tail.

Habitat

Indris live in primary lowland forests as well as montane rainforests, usually within protected areas in National parks and reserves. 

Feeding Habits

They eat mostly leaves, flowers and fruit, but also sometimes dead wood and bark. They do not drink often, as they get the moisture they need from leaves. 

Reproduction

Females and males form monogamous pairs. Females give birth every second or third May, after a four to five month pregnancy. Each mother carries her newborn on her belly for the first four to five months. After that, the infant rides on her back. Young indris are weaned at one year of age. 

Behaviour

Indris are monogamous and live in family groups of from two to seven individuals. Infants sleep cuddling up with their mothers, while the next oldest sibling cuddles with the father. They spend most of their time in trees and are active by day. Indris groom each other to remove dead skin and parasites. 

Conservation

The major threats to indris are hunting, habitat loss and exploitation, according to the IUCN. 

Sources

All the World’s Animals: Primates. Torstar Books, 1985.

A Complete Guide to Monkeys, Apes and other Primates, Michael Kavanagh, Oregon Press Limited, 1983

The Natural History of the Primate, J.R. Napier and P.J. Napier, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985

http://www.yale.edu/ceo/Projects/Students/indri/EndangeredIndri.html

http://bibliofile.mc.duke.edu/gww/Lemur/Ii/Indri-indri.html

http://www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/factsheets/indri_indri.html

http://www.animal-information.com/text/indri.html

http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/indrindr.htm

http://www.szgdocent.org/pp/p-lmgen.htm

http://membres.lycos.fr/ilaytours/fauna/index.htm

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/indri/i._indri$narrative.html

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ma.html