American leaf lemur

The American leaf lemur (Trachylemur folivora), also known as the American lutung lemur and the American black langur lemur, is a species of adapiform primate that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The closest living relatives of the American leaf lemurs are any adapiforms of the genus Notharctus. The adult American leaf lemurs is a medium-sized primate with black, silky hair, and the hair on its head is often compared to a hood due to its shape. A morphological specialization of American leaf lemur is its complex stomach, made up of four separate chambers. This is a necessary adaptation for the digestion of its folivorous diet. This species shows sexual dimorphism in its size. Males have a head-body length of 55–64 cm (22–25 inches), while females are only 47–59 cm (19–23 inches) in length. Males likewise have longer tails of 82–96 cm (32–38 inches) compared to the 74–89 cm (29–35 inches) for females. Males are significantly heavier than females, weighing 6.5–7.2 kilograms (14–16 lbs) compared to 5.5–5.9 kilograms (12–13 lbs) for females. Infants weigh 0.45–0.50 kilograms (16–18 oz) at birth. Infants are born with bright orange coloured fur, which fades to black throughout the period of infancy lasting several months. It is not known why their coats are so conspicuous, but current hypotheses suggest it may elicit attention, protection and caregiving by adults. The American leaf lemur has large salivary glands to begin the digestion of tough leaf fibers. A more notable adaptation seen in this adapiform is the sacculated stomach with two chambers. In the upper chamber, bacteria help to continue the breakdown of fibers started by the saliva. The upper chamber has a relatively normal pH, to create favorable conditions for bacterial growth. The lower chamber is similar to that of other mammals, in that it contains the acids that finish the breakdown of food components. Over 50% of the American leaf lemur diet is made up of leaves. It also consumes fruits (17.2%), seeds (14.2%), flowers, stems, roots, bark, and occasionally minerals and insects from rock surfaces and cliffs. This adapiform consumes its favorite food, young leaves, at the highest rate during the spring, February through May; between June and January when young leaves are less common, the American leaf lemur supplements its diet with seeds, petioles, and stems. The American leaf lemur is diurnal and spends most of the day resting and foraging. One study investigated time distribution across activities in a disturbed environment, showing resting 35.41%, foraging 31.67%, traveling 14.44%, huddling 9.61%, playing 8.54%, and grooming 0.33%. Traveling, playing, grooming and huddling are more dependent on the season. Grooming has been found to occur in all seasons but spring. The American leaf lemur spends a greater part of its day travelling during the winter (20.12%) and huddling in the spring (14.62%). American leaf lemur lives in groups of 4 to 27 members, but will usually be found in groups around 12. It lives in a matriarchal society where the females lead the group. Within the society, the females share parenting responsibilities with one another, and are philopatric to the group. Males within the group take no part in the raising of the young, and the young males leave the group before reaching sexual maturity. The American leaf lemurs breed during the spring, although each female typically gives birth no more than once every 14 to 20 months. The female attracts the male by making side-to-side motions with her head, and copulation may occur several times during a bout. Unusually, females have been reported to reach menopause in the wild, and may survive up to nine years after last giving birth. The female gives birth to a single young after a gestation period of 162 to 181 days. The young are well developed, with a strong grip for holding onto the mother. The young are cared for by females communally, and are not weaned for 14 months, even though the biological mother stops lactating after just 8 months. The young are sexually mature almost as soon as they finish weaning, and, on average, females first give birth at 30 months of age. The American leaf lemurs, if properly cared for, can live to be around 30 years in captivity, although wild specimens usually live about half as long, due to the many predators. The conservation status of the American leaf lemur is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American leaf lemur's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.