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All members of the indri indri
All members of the indri indri have specilisations to accomodate a folivorous
diet.Early dissections showed them to be anatomical folivores with
hypertrophied salivary glands' voluminous stomaches, sacculated ceca, and
looped colons, which facilitates efficent digestion of leaf parts.Anomica
folivores canbe classified as either foregut (c.g., colobine monkeys) or midgut
fermenters (previously known as hindgut fermenters). All indriids are the
latter, exibiting increased surface area in the midgut where nutrience are
made available through fermentation of fiber by symbiotic gut flora (protozoan
and bacterial). During fermentation, volitile fatty acids are relesed and then
passed into the bloodstreem where they are taken up by the animal as a form
of assimilable energy. compared to foregut specialist , midgut fermenters are
able to consume more fiborus foliage but need larger volumes to pass
through their digestive tract to ensure sufficant exstraction on nutrients.
Within the indriid clade, the indri shows the highest degree of specilizations
for foliage digestion over any other confamilial.
The teeth of the Indri Indri are also indictave of a folivororus lemurid. All
indriids have a reduced dentition, with just 30 teeth rather than the typical 36
teeth. The molars of the Indri have high crowns and long sheering blades to
slice up fiborus plant matter and fruit seeds. in addition, the indri's molars are
squared off with a bilophodent morphology that only the indriidae and the
cercopithicoidea exibit the large crushing basins of these molars are highly
effectiive at breaking down plant matter to even finer grades.
Indris are considered to be the largest of all of the lemurs, and are the only
lemurs with vestigial tails. They have dense, silky black and white fur, with
their patterns varying between populations on the island . Indris at the
northern edge of the range tend to be darker, while those at the southern
edge are usually lighter in colour. Their ears are black and tufted, and they
have long muzzles, long slender legs and short arms .They are arboreal, with
fantastic adaptations to allow them to climb trees and leap from one to
another. Their powerful legs are about one third longer than their arms, and
are able to propel them through the forest canopy in an upright position over
distances of up to ten metres . The hands and feet are large and adapted for
climbing trees and running along the forest floor, with small opposable
thumbs, and large opposable big toes, which are useful for grabbing and
handling things. The other toes are held together by webbing and work as
one unit . The females are often larger in size than the males, and look very
similar in appearance, as do the juveniles.
The indri is found in primary and secondary lowland and mid-altitude rain
forest from sea level to about 1500 m (4900'), although elevations below
1000 m (3300') appear to be preferred.
The indri lives in both the Madagascar & Indian Ocean Islands Biodiversity
HotspotThe indri is one of the most endangered species of lemur on
Madagascar, and one of the most threatened primates in the world . They live
by the coast, where forests have become so fragmented that they are almost
too small to sustain viable populations . The main threat is slash-and-burn
agriculture, a practice that continues even in protected areas . Forests are
also cut down for fuel and timber as human populations increase . Hunting of
the indri is a taboo in many areas on the island, so this species does not
suffer as much as other lemurs from trapping, although sometimes it is killed
for food . Despite this, the indri is a seriously endangered species and will
almost certainly face extinction in the next 100 years if conservation efforts do
not succeed .
The indri has never been bred successfully in captivity. Protection of their
natural habitat is therefore imperative to ensure that they are not lost forever .
Unfortunately there is no easy answer to Madagascar's conservation
problems. Despite the indri being endangered, Madagascar's increasing
human population needs space and resources and inevitably this erodes
natural habitats. This problem is made worse because Madagascar is an
island; this therefore limits the area that men and wildlife can expand into.
Conservation plans have designated some areas of the island to be protected
from deforestation, but there is evidence that forest clearing continues inside
the parks . It would be sad indeed to see the indri populations, once so
prevalent, dwindle away to nothing .
View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring
Centre.
The Indri is listed as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high
risk of extinction in the wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
In the early 1900's, the indri was so common that one traveler reported that
no one could travel from Tamatave to Antanarivo without often hearing its
cries. By the 1960's its abundance was decreasing due to deforestation.In the
1990's it was thought to occur in the central-eastern and northeastern rain
forests ofMadagascarfrom sea level to around 1500 m (4900'). Its range
extends from the Mangoro River in the south to the area just southwest of
Andapa in the north.
The indri is severely threatened by deforestation of its habitat for fuel, logging
and slash-and-burn agriculture. Even forests lying within the bounds of
protected areas continue to be felled and disturbed. Indris are not hunted by
the local people because of taboos ("fady"). However, there are reports of
immigrants from other tribal groups and even some foreign immigrants
hunting indri.
The indrifeeds on leaves, fruit, flowers,and other vegetation. young leaves
and leaf buds, but also some flowers and both ripe and unripe fruits.