White-Headed Lemur

A white-headed lemur is a species of very common lemur that is native to much of Madagascar. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the Paralemur genus. It is most closely related to the endangered similar-sized ring-tailed lemur, which is a more recognized species of lemur. It is named because of its head being mostly white in color. Unlike its ring-tailed lemur relatives, it lacks the ringed tail consisting of blacks and whites, and its tail is instead gray in color and is bushy, giving it a squirrel-like tail. It inhabits almost every habitat known in Madagascar, from arid scrublands, to dry forests, to wet swamps, and other kinds of habitats. It is an omnivore, and the most omnivorous of the lemurs, that feeds on any kind of food available, including mushrooms, pollen, nectar, fruits, leaves, vegetables, roots, tubers, insects, fish, frogs, small lizards and snakes, small birds, smaller mammals, eggs, and even carrion. White-headed lemurs can be either solitary or social, depending on an individual, with the solitary ones being competitive towards other lemurs for territory, food, etc, and more aggressive, while the social ones being more friendlier to other lemurs and share food, territories, etc. They also are very common because of their fast reproductive systems, with gestation periods lasting about 3-3.5 months and are very frequent breeders. Unlike most other lemur species, white-headed lemurs are in no risk of becoming extinct due to their remarkable tolerance to habitat loss. These lemurs also adapt really well into human settlements, making them among the few species of lemur to flourish in human settlements in their native range.