Get
To Know
The White-footed Sportive Lemur is endemic to Madagascar, inhabiting
the southern subtropical or tropical dry shrubland where they eat
mainly leaves. During the dry season they may depend entirely on
the leaves and flowers of Alluaudia species. They are coprophagous,
consuming and redigesting their feces to further breakdown of the
cellulose contained in it. They are similar to other lemurs in the
family, with a grey back, a pale grey to white ventral side, and
a light brown tail. They range from 24-26 cm in length and their
tail from 21-26 cm while their weight averages 0.54 kg, which perhaps
explains while they are nocturnal and move through the forest using
a vertical clinging and leaping technique. Males live in solidarity
and have territories that will overlap those of one or more females.
Males may meet with females during the night for foraging and social
grooming and the species is polygynous. They defend their territory
by monitoring it and vocalizing loudly when strangers approach and
both genders may engage in physical combat to defend their territory.
Mothers give birth to one offspring a year after a 4.5-month gestation
period. Breeding happens between May and July, and births happen
between September and November. They are born with their big eyes
open and the ability to cling to branches. Infants are highly vulnerable,
so mothers take great care to keep them close by. When leaving their
nest to forage at night, a mother transports her young in her mouth
and places them in nearby branches while she eats. After about a
month, they are able to climb and jump. The International Union
for the Conservation of Nature lists the white-footed sportive lemur
as Endangered with the number of mature individuals is decreasing
due to habitat loss and degradation. Primarily, their main threats
are annual burning practices to create new pastures for livestock
as well as tree harvesting for charcoal production and timber. Climate
change also affects them. Their spiny forest is known as one of
the driest and most unpredictable climates in all of Africa, making
white-footed sportive lemurs' habitats especially vulnerable to
climate change.
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Under Comments
by
John Grey
You could say the kid
deserved what he got.
In fact, you are saying it,
there, in the comments section,
under the internet article.
According to the evidence
of your postings,
he was probably a drug dealer.
Or a junkie.
Or a thief.
Or a killer even.
Maybe all four.
He doesn't look like a victim,
not even when there's blood pouring
from a cut above his right eye.
You could say that
if more of these immigrants
got kicked around, beat up
by the law once in a while,
they'd know to stay away.
He's in a gang is
what you're telling me.
It's what you think
so it must be true.
There'll be an inquiry.
There always is.
You could say
how can the cops do their job
if they're being held back all the time
by sappy bleeding-heart liberals.
You don't ask the question.
You just say it.
And you only wish you were a cop
and could get in some punching and kicking
of your own.
But you get off on being anonymous.
There are times you're unaware
it's even you.
John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New
World Writing, California Quarterly and Lost Pilots. Latest
books, “ Between Two Fires”, “ Covert” and “ Memory Outside
The Head” are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in Isotrope
Literary Journal, Seventh Quarry, La Presa and Doubly Mad.
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