15th October 2015
N e w s a d e m ic .co m ™
- British English edition
page
4
plants have evolved over this long
period in a particular way. Lemurs
are found only on Madagascar. So
they are an example o f the island’s
unique wildlife.
Lemurs are a type o f primate.
Yet they
are neither monkeys nor
apes. Over 100 species o f lemur
have been found on Madagascar.
Many live on fruits and plants, al
though some eat insects. The largest
is called the indri. Adult indri le
murs are about 75 centimetres (2.5
feet) tall. The mouse lemur is the
smallest type. Including its tail, this
lemur is only 27 centimetres (11
inches) long. Another, called the
blue-eyed
black lemur, is the only
primate species other than humans
to have blue eyes.
Montagne d ’Ambre dwarf lem ur (Edward E Louis Jr)
The researchers have named the
new lemur the Montagne d ’Ambre
dw arf lemur. This name comes from
the Montagne National Park. The
population o f new lemurs was found
close to the border o f this park. The
lem ur’s scientific name is
Cheiro-
galeus andysabini
(this means Andy
Sabin’s dw arf lemur). The research
ers decided to name the lemur after
Andy Sabin. He is a well-known
philanthropist from the USA. Phi
lanthropists are wealthy people who
give a
lot o f their money to good
causes. M r Sabin is an animal con
servation supporter. His main in
terest is in turtles, amphibians and
primates. M r Sabin has helped to
pay for many research projects in
Madagascar. These include studies
on lemurs, tortoises and frogs.
Andy Sabin’s dw arf lemur is a
reddish-brown colour.
It has a white
underside and dark brown rings
around its eyes. The animal is the
same size as a small squirrel. Its body
is 18 centimetres (seven inches) in
length. The lem ur’s bushy tail is a
few centimetres longer than its body.
Like many other lemurs, it stores fat
(or food) in its long tail. This can be
used if there is a shortage o f food.
Many tree species in M adagas
car’s forests produce fruits. Birds
and bats eat some o f the smaller
ones.
These animals do not digest
the seeds inside the fruits. The trees’
seeds are therefore dispersed, or
taken to other places, in their drop
pings. However, some tree fruits are
too big to be eaten by birds and bats.
Lemurs eat many o f these larger
fruits. So, like the birds and bats,
lemurs spread these trees’ seeds in
their droppings.
Scientists believe that nearly
90% o f lemur species are endan
gered.
The biggest problem is the
loss o f M adagascar’s rainforests, or
the lem urs’ natural habitat. The large
island used to be almost completely
covered in trees. Yet, in recent
years, many have been cut down,
or felled. Local people do this to
sell the wood. The wood from some
trees that grow on Madagascar is
very valuable.
Other trees are felled
to make charcoal or so the land can
be used for farming.
The researchers do not know the
population size o f the new dwarf
lemur. The animals have only been
found in one area. This means
that their total number is likely to
be small. □
UN
APPROVES
EU
NAVY FORCE
On 9th
October the United Nations
(UN) Security Council voted on a
resolution, or formal proposal. It
was about a European Union (EU)
navy force in the Mediterranean
Sea. The resolution passed. The UN
Security Council is made up o f 15
countries. Fourteen voted for the
resolution. One, Venezuela, decided
to abstain.
The Cavour, the Italian na vy ship th a t is leading
the E U N a vfo r M ed (Armando M ancini)
The UN has 193 member coun
tries. However,
its Security Council
makes most o f the important deci
sions. Only 15 o f the U N ’s member
states ‘sit’ on the Security Council.
Five are w hat’s known as perma
nent members. These are the USA,
the UK, Russia, France, and China.
Four o f them were the victors o f the
Second World War (1939 - 1945).
The fifth, China, became a perma
nent member in 1971.
The other ten countries on the
Security Council (or non-permanent
members) rotate, or change. These
ten are from different parts, or
