The national animal of Madagascar is the lemur. Given that lemurs are found nowhere else this should come as no surprise. Of all the 100 lemur species, all are endemic to Madagascar. Specifically, the ring-tailed lemur is the national animal of Madagascar. This is a species of wet-nosed primate.
Lemurs are doubtless Madagascar’s most iconic and well-known animal.
Lemurs can be found all over the island but the ring-tailed lemur is mostly found in the southern part of Madagascar.
They are vitally important to the people of Madagascar on both a literal and metaphorical level.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Madagascar?
The national animal of Madagascar is the lemur, specifically the ring-tailed lemur—doubtless the most iconic and recognizable species of lemur.
These are medium to larger strepsirrhine primates, which means they are wet-nosed.
Their tails, as the name suggests, are white and black ringed and this is what has made them so internationally recognized.
They belong to the Lemuridae family, one of five families into which lemur species are separated.
They are the only extant member of their genus.
They are a highly social species and live in groups of as many as 30 individuals.
They are female-dominant, which is typical of most lemur species.
They will huddle in groups to form deeper bonds as well as helping them to keep warm, and like other primates they will groom one another to help strengthen social cohesion.
They are diurnal, meaning they are active only during the day and rest in the trees at night.
They rely on their strong sense of smell and use scent glands to mark their territory.
This can also provide communication within a group.
They have a great deal of vocalizations that they use for a variety of purposes like cohesion but also alarm calls for indicating the presence of predators.
They show developed cognitive abilities, being able to organize, understand arithmetic operation and even select tools for their preferred functional qualities.
They are, sadly, listed today as an endangered species.
They have been very successfully bred in zoos, but their wild population is in decline due to the destruction of their habitat, illegal hunting and the exotic pet trade.
It’s estimated that there may be as few as 2,000 individuals remaining in the wild. This iconic animal, then, is under threat—but why is it so important in Madagascar?
Why is the ring-railed lemur the national animal of Madagascar?
The ring-railed lemur is the national animal of Madagascar for many reasons.
They are, as mentioned, certainly the most well-known species of lemur.
Many endemic species may be relatively obscure, but lemurs have become immensely popular in global culture and thus they have become even more important in their home country of Madagascar, too.
They are seen to embody important national values like freedom and unity, and thus they have been very important to the people of Madagascar for a great many symbolic reasons.
On the other hand, though, they of course embody the island nation’s natural beauty, too.
They are the spirits of the country’s rainforests and tropical environments, with no animal so well suited to representing the Madagascan natural landscape.
Again, few animals even in the world are so instantly recognizable not to mention associated with their home country.
But of course the problem of their continued survival is also a question when it comes to their position as national animal.
By making them the national animal, the Madagascan government also hopes to bring wider attention to their plight and to aid future conservation efforts.
It would be an immeasurable tragedy if they were lost to time.
Are ring-railed lemurs friendly?
Ring-railed lemurs are not really friendly in any useful sense.
They are wild animals, and while they may exhibit a curious nature in captivity, they are ultimately quite territorial and not particularly interested in human contact.
Certainly, wild lemurs would not be interested in being “friendly” with humans, and though they may have a cute and appealing outward appearance, they could easily get aggressive and territorial even in captivity.
They are of course very friendly among their own social groups and exhibit a large degree of social bonding and cohesion; but to anyone else they are not very likely to be friendly.
Are lemurs a type of monkey?
Lemurs are not a type of monkey.
They are, as mentioned, part of the suborder Strepsirrhini, meaning they are wet-nosed primates like gibbons and lorises.
They are part of the wider order primates, which includes everything from spider monkeys to human beings, but this is where the relationship between monkeys and lemurs ends.
Lemurs are part of an entirely separate suborder, and though they exhibit many similar behaviors and morphological features, monkeys and lemurs are not the same thing.
They evolved separately though of course if you go back far enough you will find a common ancestor between the two.
Endemic species like lemurs are fairly rare and most primates tend to be more widely distributed than the lemur.
This, and many other aspects of these unique creatures, has made them very important to the national identity of Madagascar and so it is no surprise that they have been chosen as the official national animal.
While they are in a precarious position in terms of their conservation, future efforts at improving the lot of these species do show a great deal of promise.