Lemuren is they of nightly roving around souls of the deceased in the Roman mythology. This name was transferred on also many semi-monkeys, whose nightly shiver-chants could make ghost-beliefs and ancestor worship comprehensible also for a cleared up Central European. Some semi-monkeys are in the mythology of the native bearers of spirits of the ancestors and frequently with a taboo busy (Sifakas).
System The name of Lemuren was applied for all semi-monkeys soon, and a similar language-confusion prevailed like with "Maki's" name - also (Bärenmaki) a concept, with which a multiplicity of quite different semi-monkeys, yes also the Flattermaki (giant-gliders) belonging not at all to the order of the primates is marked.
Becomes from this today zoologist only the semi-monkeys living on Madagascar as Lemuren (Lemuriformes) marks. 5 families belong to this part-order: the Katzenmakis (Cheirogaleidae), the Wieselmakis (Lepilemuridae), the Indriartigen (Indriidae) and the finger-animal (Daubentonia) from an independent family.
The family of the actual Lemuren (Lemuridae) includes the Halbmakis (type Hapalemur) and the Katta (Lemur catta) and the Mohrenmaki (Lemur macaco) as most known types. It is astonishing in which variety the Lemuren developed in Madagascar's relatively limited habitat. Very many forms are among each other across-pure, and in the zoological yard, such bastards are to sometimes be seen. However, all forms have its own habitat or its particular way of life, that they separate from other types or subtypes, in the free nature.
Habitat Most of these semi-monkeys are tree-inhabitants, only few are on the ground (Katta, Halbmaki) longer time.
The different types or subtypes often are on tried quite certain habitats. The Gabelkatzenmaki occurs in west-Madagascar's dry-forests and in the moist-forests in the northeast of the island in different forms. The Vari and the Rotbauchmaki however are pure rain-forest-inhabitants and populate only the eastern part of the island. The Halbmaki lives in the reed-belt of the Alaotra-Sees in East-Madagascar, the Katta only the dry-forest in the southwest.
Continuance The variety of the forms could develop only in Madagascar's isolation and until today, could exist. Only some Sneak cats and gripping-birds are possible for the Lemuren as natural enemies. A balanced balance appeared between them. Also this only few centuries ago from the Asian area of immigrated inhabitants of the island Madagascar could not endanger the continuance of the most Lemuren for centuries.
First the task of the old myths and with it the taboos, with which the "ghost-fundamental" Lemuren were protected, as well as many types brought the onward destruction of the habitat through huge clearances in this century at the edge of the extinction. Through export-prohibitions, protection-regulations and the equipment of protectorates, one tries to get this unique semi-monkey-fauna.
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