I have been a lifelong lemur lover (say that five times fast!). As a kid, I had a lemur stuffed animal that I adored. As an adult, I am the proud owner of a lemur onesie. These little primates are such a cute, interesting group that I thought I’d share the lemur love. Here’s a definitive ranking of the ten cutest lemur species (with a few lemur facts thrown in for good measure)!
10. The Aye Aye
This picture is the cutest one I could find of these curious creatures, because they usually look a little like sickly possums that have just been caught in the rain. Aye ayes are unique looking animals, but cute in their own way. Disgustingly adorable. Or perhaps adorably disgusting. Either way, you can’t deny that this large-eared, yellow-eyed creature has a certain gross charm.
9. The Red Ruffed Lemur
Check out this little guy! Doesn’t he sort of look like a teddy bear? His eyes look so lost and confused, but that only adds to his cuteness. The red ruffed lemur must know he’s cute, because he spends an awful lot of time grooming. Vanity, am I right? But if you’re this cute, I think it’s justified.
8. The Sifaka Lemur
Many of you will be familiar with this species from the beloved kids’ television program, Zomboomafoo. These brown and white critters look like extremely huggable, fluffy stuffed animals. Lemurs leap sideways to move on the ground, and there’s nothing cuter than watching a YouTube video of these guys jumping around. Peculiar and silly, but cute.
7. The Blue Eyed Black Lemur
Honestly, this lemur is prettier than I am. His ice blue eyes are stunning in contrast to his jet black fur. I feel a little bit like he’s staring into my soul in the best possible way. I feel the urge to cuddle with him and protect him from everything. I will be your adoptive mother, little lemur friend! (Also, I know for a fact that I’m using the right pronouns this time. Only the males of this species are black; the females are reddish brown.)
6. The Ring Tailed Lemur
This species is probably what comes to mind when you think “lemur,” and isn’t it an adorable mental image? Their distinctive ringed tails and pointed faces make such a cute combination! They like to sunbathe and to huddle with other members of their group. The ring tailed lemur can actually understand basic arithmetic operations! Beauty and brains – the total package!
5. The Bush Baby
This little guy would be ranked higher, but while closely related, he’s not technically a lemur. Thus, he is regaled to number five. However, he’s close enough and cute enough that he at least deserves a place on this list. Bush babies look a little bit like the offspring of Yoda and a kitten in the best way, with cute little faces, huge eyes, and large, triangular ears. However, if we want to share the planet with these adorable guys for much longer, we need to do something. 90% of lemur species could go extinct in just the next 20-25 years!
4. The Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur
Tiny creature. Huge eyes. Fat tail. Can you ask for anything more in terms of cute animal traits? He has all the cute traits of a mouse and a monkey in one itty bitty package! He really is extremely small; these little guys only get up to 160 grams at their full adult weight, which is roughly a third of a pound. So small! We must protect him!
3. The Slender Loris
The slender loris has some pretty gigantic eyes! Lorises are nocturnal, so this guy needs these gigantic brown eyes to see in the dark. Honestly, this lemur looks like the small, energetic, cryptically wise companion in a sci-fi movie set in outer space. Please tell me I’m not the only one who sees this.
2. The Mouse Lemur
I’m pretty sure the mouse lemurs’ eyes are about 50 percent of their body weight. The one in this picture is a fully grown adult! At their biggest, they can still fit in the palm of your hand, making them the perfect size to put in your shirt pocket and carry around all day. Can you imagine him waking up from a nap peeking sleepily out of your front pocket? Would that not be the cutest thing?
1. The Slow Loris
Look. At. This. Lemur. Have you ever seen anything more adorable? Hands down, the slow loris is the cutest thing I’ve seen in my life. He looks so demure and melancholy. Who hurt you, little loris? How can I make it better? I will make sure you’re never sad again! Everything from his enormous expressive eyes to his little ears to his dainty hands is so darn cute!
(An important side note – this image is from a YouTube video of a pet slow loris eating a rice ball. Lemurs should never be pets! And lorises should not eat rice balls! Yes, he’s cute, but no amount of cuteness justifies inhumane treatment. If you want to meet any of the sweet creatures on this list, meet them in their natural habitat or a habitat designed specifically for them at a research center or zoo.)
