Does anyone here have a Lemur?

[Krow]

I think Lemurs are so cool, I was just wondering if anyone on here has one or has a friend that has one.

How are they to keep and whats their temperment like? I saw one in a pet store a few years ago and wanted him so bad, I would love to have one. :smug2:

 

[Daidra]

I know of an exotic pet store that has them in Texas as I waiting for 2 baby chipmunks to come in,here is the website (www.s&sexotics.com)

let me know if the link works.

 

[T-ReXx]

You do NOT want a lemur. IMO, no primate belongs in a pet situation, they're way to intelligent, difficult to care for correctly, and potentially dangerous. This includes prosimians(lemurs, lorises, etc). I've never kept one personally(and I never would) but from my experience with them they a) smell quite bad and will make your house smell equally bad(males produce a skunk-like odor and females aren't particularly much better) b) are impossible to house train in any way, shape or form(arboreal animals rarely are) c) have severe mood swings once they reach sexual maturity, and are likely to bite you just because they are having a bad day(they have very large, very sharp canines and can do some major damage). Males also use urine to mark, not only spraying territory but rubbing it on their own bodies and other animals they consider part of their "troop"(i.e. their owner). In a house, they would require a room sized enclosure or larger, and really need other members of their own species to stay sane. They require a highly varied diet of high quality fruits and vegatables, as well as protein in the form of a quality primate diet, and insects and small mammals or birds, and in some species they specialize in eating specific species of leaves and will fail to thrive without them. In their native country of Madagascar almost all species are considered threatened, and a few are severely endangered, due to being eaten by the native people and the constant problem of deforstation. On top of all that, they are extremely LOUD. Troop members communicate via screams and whoops, and they love to start doing that at sunrise. So, assuming you could provide the appropriate environment(and most people can't) and diet, and multiple other lemurs for companionship, you would also require neighbors who don't mind your house sounding like Tarzan lived there every morning at the crack of dawn. They are beautiful animals, I agree, and highly interesting socially, but they are WILD and belong in their native lands or large facilities that can provide the space and care that they need. This is the case with ALL primates, imo, from marmosets to chimpanzees and everything in between. Appreciate them in zoos and animal parks, or even better take a trip to Madagascar and see them in their native habitats. But as pets, nope, bad choice.

 

[Sidhe]

The above post said everything I wanted to say. You do not want a primate in your home. You cannot possibly hope to properly care for it unless you plan on having a very, very large outdoor, arboreal enclosure, along with proper diet, temperature control, veterinary care, and a long list of other things. As for your questions regarding temperament, they are wild animals. They will bite you if frightened or annoyed. They also communicate via scent, as T-ReXx said, and can be very smelly.

Any pet store that is selling them, is doing so illegally. All species of lemur are highly endangered. They do not make good pets, and you cannot properly care for them as an owner.

 

[Daidra]

yeah I wouldn't want a primate either but it's your choice and the place that has them are selling them the legal way as they have all the license they need with Fish and Wildlife and you would have to check with fish and wildlife in your state to see if they are legal.

 

[Mel&Keith]

An acquaintance of ours has had one as a pet for many years. Her and her husband have both been attacked by it at least once to the point of requiring hospitalization (where they had to lie about where the injuries came from). Most of the time he's sweet (to them) and almost like their child but when you see the scars where there are missing chunks out of their bodies you really think hard about whether they should be pets. The housing requirements don't make it so that the average city dweller could keep a lemur anyway. They need really expansive habitats indoors and out. I would start out with something small and mean that can't do much damage first, like a sugar glider. lol

 

[goReptiles]

Lemurs are a threatened animal and are being sold illegally. Plus, there's no way that a store can sell a lemur to any joe blow who walks in.

Lemurs are threatened largely because their habitats are being destroyed. People in Madagascar cut down the forests there to use the wood, and to grow agricultural crops in its place. In fact, eighty percent of the lemur's original habitat in Madagascar has been destroyed. Although the lemurs themselves help to disperse seeds for new plants, they cannot keep up with the people that cut the forests down. Lemur populations are also hurt by hunting. Fortunately, however, all types of lemurs are protected by CITES, which makes it illegal hunt or capture lemurs for trade, except for scientific research, and to breed in zoos. These laws are well-enforced, and the lemur has been a long-time focus of conservation efforts. But although the lemurs are no longer being hunted as much as in the past, deforestation is still threatening their survival.