Leaping Lemurs! Amazing Primates Roam North Carolina

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Duke Lemur Center

Duke Lemur Center visitor center

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

The visitor's center at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, N.C., where a typical southern forest is home to more than 200 lemurs and related primates.

Sifaka Lemur

Sifaka lemur at Duke

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

Can I help you? A sifaka lemur hangs out under an awning at the Duke Lemur Center.

Ring-tailed Lemur

Ring-tailed lemur at Duke Lemur Center

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

Ring-tailed lemurs emerge from the forest at the Duke Lemur Center. Lemurs trained to come at a trainer's signal are able to roam the fenced-in grounds freely.

Lemur Strikes a Pose

Ring-tailed lemur at Duke Lemur Center

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

A Ring-tailed lemur strikes a pose at the Duke Lemur Center.

Blue-Eyed Black

Blue-eyed black lemur

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

Blue-Eyed Black Lemurs are named for the male of the species, which is solid black. Females, like this one, are orange.

Blue-Eyed Black Stands

Blue-eyed black lemur

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A male Blue-Eyed Black Lemur gets up on two legs in hope of food.

Blue Eyes

Blue-eyed black lemur

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This close-up reveals why the Blue-Eyed Black Lemur has its name.

Jumping Sifaka

Sifaka lemur at Duke

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

Sifaka lemurs are expert climbers but don't get around well on the ground. To move, they hop sideways on their back legs.

Ring-tailed Lemurs

Ring-tailed lemur at Duke Lemur Center

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

Ring-tailed Lemurs, unlike Sifakas, are ground-dwelling.

Lemur Tree

Sifaka lemur at Duke

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

How many lemurs can fit on one tree?

Tree Sifaka

Sifaka lemur at Duke

(Image credit: Stephanie Pappas for LiveScience)

A Sifaka lemur wraps long limbs and toes around a tree at the Duke Lemur Center.

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.