As if that name isn’t cute enough, this wide-eyed creature runs around the rain forest tapping on trees, listening to the trunks for a meal of insect larvae on the inside. What really ups the adorable factor is that their busy tail is larger than their entire body! If you catch one sleeping, he’ll be curled up in a nest of leaves.
Source: Nationalgeographic.com
Real lemurs may not run around with lizard crowns on their heads bossing the animal kingdom around, but they do like an easy life. Ninety-eight percent of this Lemur’s diet is made up of “low-energy” food, or food that requires almost no work to get, like their favorite: bamboo!
Source: Arkive.org
This is another type of lemur that is darker than the bamboo lemur and instead of having a long tail, has a white stripe leading down its back into a bushel of fur. Indri Lemurs can jump up to 10 meters between trees and they respect their lady lemurs — they get to eat first while the males keep a lookout.
Source: A-z-animals.com
The striped civet is about the size of a housecat and has distinctive black markings on its coat. They have the unique skill of storing fat preserves in their tails, and they are known for making calls that sound like groans or cries.
Source: Arkive.org
You might mistake this lemur for a raccoon because of its white and black stripes, but it is in fact a lemur — and popular in zoos. The Ring-tailed lemurs run in groups called “troops” of about 17 individuals, and use their powerful scent glands to communicate with one another.
Source: Nationalgeographic.com
The verreaux’s sifaka is known for the way he leaps, appearing to be flying between trees. If he looks cuddly that’s because he has a very thick, soft fur. The sifaka gets its name from its very loud, piercing call that sounds like “shi-fahk.”
Source: Arkive.org
The flying fox is actually a bat, but got its name from its fox like facial features. What makes the flying fox unique is that it actually serves as a pollinator: when the creature feeds on fruits, the pollen often gets stuck to its fur, which he then transfers to other areas of the island.
Source: Arkive.org
The tomato frog gets its name from its vibrant red hue. The color is supposedly meant to scare off predators, giving the idea that the frog is toxic, but if that doesn’t work, the male frogs can actually “inflate” and make themselves appear larger when in danger.
Source: Arkive.org
The tenrec looks a bit like a hedgehog with a yellow mohawk, and weighs just around three pounds. What makes this creature unique is that it can lower its own body temperature while sleeping, and females can adjust their body temperatures while pregnant. Female tenrecs can have litters of up to 32 babies, a litter size rarely seen amongst mammals.
Source: Softschools.com
In the movie, the other characters speak of the fossa with terror because they are carnivores that will eat just about anything they can hunt. As predatory as they may be, it’s hard not to notice that their faces look like that of a puppy dog.
Source: Nationalgeographic.com
Day geckos may look bland in hue, but when they open their mouths, they show an impressive array of colors in there! Day geckos sleep in a peculiar formation with their faces flat up against tree trunks. Another interesting fact is that the day gecko uses its tongue to clean its eyes.
Source: Arkive.org
The mouse lemur, if you’ll recall from the movie, made squeaky sounds akin to a human baby. The most adorable of them all are the pygmy mouse lemurs that stand at barely two- and-a-half inches long! Mouse lemurs mostly sleep during the day, and forage for plants and insects at night.
Source: Nationalgeographic.com
