Feb
13
A Rare Lemur Baby is Born
By - Feb 13, 2013
Posted in Births and Arrivals - New Animals!,Primates

We are proud to announce that on January 28th, we had a new Sifaka addition to the primate family!  The infant is the son to mother Zenobia and father Gaius.  Coquerel’s sifaka are an endangered lemur from the island of Madagascar, where deforestation is getting worse every year.  Sifaka get their unique name from the alarm call they make: “shif-auk”.

Sifaka are very vulnerable when first born and require special care.  The keepers spend many hours observing and making sure that babies are nursing and staying healthy.  When born, he weighed a mere 96g (3.4 oz).  When he is full grown, he will weigh 3.2-4.4 kg  ( 7-8 lbs).  Zenobia has had two other sons at the Houston Zoo.  Both of her other sons, Kelyfamata and Sebastian, are with their father, Dean, at the Mesker Park Zoo in Indiana, where they have formed a bachelor group.

You can often find Zenobia and Gaius munching on various types of leaves we call “browse”.  They have a specialized digestive system that uses hind gut fermentation (bacteria in the intestines that break down the cellulose in fibrous plants.) They have a unique diet that our horticulture department helps provide for us every morning.  They eat up to 100 different varieties of plants in the wild.  Here at the zoo, rose, natal plum and red-tipped photina are their favorites.  In about 6 months, the infant should be fully weaned and munching with them.

The infant will cling to Zenobia’s belly for approximately 3-4 weeks and then start to ride on her back for 3-4 months before he starts becoming independent.  Once he starts venturing off mom, keep your eyes peeled because he will be leaping all over the place and keeping up with him will be a challenge! Full grown sifaka are known for their amazing ability to leap over 20 FEET in one amazing bound!  Come on over to the sifaka exhibit located in the Wortham World of Primates to see this cute little bundle of joy.

More Posts Like This!