Oil on Canvas, 24 X 30"

About 180 million years ago, Madagascar broke off the mainland of Africa and became the fourth largest island in the world. Its biodiversity made it a land unlike any other place on earth. Madagascar is a land of wonder and the land of the Lemur.

Ring-tailed lemurs, pictured here, live in social groups that can number over 20 individuals. Lemurs, which means ghosts in Latin, are very agile and use their long black and white tails for balance when moving from branch to branch. They are capable of jumping several meters from one tree to another, using their very muscular back legs to push off the tree.

Unlike most other primates, lemur females dominate the family hierarchy.

All lemurs are endangered species or threatened species. Centuries ago, there were 50 species of lemurs; today there are only 35.