Mouse lemurs are nocturnal creatures who sport extremely large eyes. Only eight species exist, all within the realms of Madagascar and the eastern portion of Africa. One mouse lemur species -- the pygmy mouse lemur -- is a little over 2 inches long, making it the smallest primate in existence. Mouse lemurs communicate through a few different techniques, each one used depending upon the situation.
Smells
One of the mouse lemur primary means of communication -- like many other mammals -- is through smell. Lemurs leave scents as they travel, giving other members of their groups a means of following or finding them. Outside of natural body scents, lemurs mark their territories, mainly by urinating in specific areas. Marking is a lemur ritual during mating, too.
Voice Communication - Infants
The lemur communication arsenal consists of several voice calls; calls for adults differ from those of juveniles. Infants perform a few calls, including purrs and grunts. Alternatively, infants will also give a distress call, usually when they can't find their mother. Infant lemurs will perform a call known as an "elimination call," which signifies they have expelled waste.
Voice Communication -- Adults
Adult mouse lemurs -- like infants -- have a broad range of voice communication. Adults are known to scream, often signifying surprise, much as monkeys or humans do. Lemurs also whistle; the longer ones are thought to be produced when lemurs feel disturbed. A lemur "trill" is a noise that has different meanings depending upon the loudness behind the call. Trills are thought to relate to breeding. Adult lemurs issue gathering calls around dawn. When threatened, lemurs will growl, signifying themselves as a potential threat.
Social Communication
In group settings, several different behaviors exhibit communication. Prior to the mating season, males will commonly become more aggressive and fight -- a response to the upcoming competition where males will have to win females in order to reproduce successfully. Calm social behaviors include huddling in groups and grooming, which are altruistic behaviors that likely increase group camaraderie.
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