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>>Dave: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE A LITTLE BUDDY HERE, AND
WE ALSO HAVE A VERY GOOD FRIEND,
ONE AND ONLY QUEEN OF THE
JUNGLE, KELLY DIEDRING HARRIS IS
HERE.
YOU BROUGHT US A LOT OF
CREATURES IN THE LAST MONTH.
SOME MAKE GREAT PETS, SOME NOT
SO MUCH.
>>Cyndi: TODAY WE HAVE A LITTLE
GUY FROM THE PRIMATE FAMILY THAT
ALTHOUGH CUTE, KELLY SAYS NOT
SUCH A GREAT DOMESTIC PET.
>> DEFINITELY NOT A DOMESTIC
ANIMAL.
THIS IS A RING-TAILED LEMUR.
>>Cyndi: SO SWEET.
>> HIS NAME IS ANDY.
HE COMES TO US FROM THE SUNCOAST
PRIMATE SANCTUARY.
THEY ARE TAKING VERY GOOD CARE
OF HIM, BUT THEY DON'T MAKE GOOD
PETS.
JUST LIKE YOU MENTIONED, YOU
CERTAINLY NEED TO HAVE A PERMIT
TO HAVE ONE, SO YOU CAN'T JUST
GO PICK ONE UP.
THEY ARE ALSO REALLY, REALLY
MESSY.
>>Dave: THEY ARE.
THEY CAN CAUSE A LOT -- I HAD
TWO SQUIRREL MONKEYS WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP AND THEY CAN WREAK
HAVOC LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE.
>> THEY CAN.
>>Cyndi: WHAT ANIMAL CAN'T BE
MESSY?
SO WHAT.
>> THEY ARE AN ENDANGERED
SPECIES.
NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP AN
ENDANGERED SPECIES IN YOUR HOME.
THEY ARE FROM MADAGASCAR WHICH
SOME PEOPLE SAY WHERE THE HECK
IS MADAGASCAR?
IT IS AN ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF
AFRICA.
LEMURS ARE ONLY ENDEMOCRATTIC TO
MADAGASCAR, WHICH MEANS YOU
CAN'T FIND THEM ANYWHERE ELSE IN
THE WORLD.
THEY ARE CALLED A PROSIMIAN,
WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM AN APE
OR MONKEY.
THEY WERE THOUGHT TO EVOLVE A 50
TO A HUNDRED MILLION YEARS
BEFORE THEN.
HE DOES HAVE THAT FANTASTIC TAIL
THAT YOU SEE.
IT IS A RING-TAILED LEMUR.
HE HAS RINGS AROUND HIS TAIL.
>>Dave: IS IT A PREHENSILE TAIL?
>> IT IS NOT A PREHENSILE TAIL.
IT IS USED STRICTLY FOR BALANCE.
SO WHEN HE JUMPS AROUND ON THE
TREES, JUST LIKE A TIGHTROPE
WALK WE'RE USE THAT LONG POLE,
THAT'S HOW HE'LL USE IT.
STICK IT STRAIGHT DOWN OR TO THE
LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT TO BALANCE.
NOW, THEY ARE OMNIVORES WHICH
MEANS THEY EAT PRETTY MUCH
ANYTHING, BUT THEY MOSTLY STICK
TO FRUITS.
HE APPARENTLY LOST INTEREST IN
THE FRUIT BUT THAT'S HIS
FAVORITE DIET.
>>Cyndi: INTERESTING AREA WHERE
YOU'VE GOT THE COLLAR.
>> THAT IS ACTUALLY THE BEST
PLACE TO KEEP IT BECAUSE IT
MIGHT SLIP OFF OVER THERE.
HE'S VERY, VERY COMFORTABLE.
HE WAS BORN AT THE PRIMATE
SANCTUARY, AND THEY ARE TAKING
GREAT CARE OF HIM.
EVENTUALLY, HE'LL GO RIGHT BACK
WITH HIS FAMILY AND A GROUP OF
LEMURS IS CALLED A TROUPE.
AND THERE'S ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO
ABOUT 30 LEMURS.
EARLIER YOU ASKED IF THEY ARE
NOCTURNAL, WHICH NOCTURNAL MEANS
THEY ARE AWAKE AT NIGHT.
>>Dave: I WAS LOOKING AT HIS
EYES AND HE HAD THOSE OWL-LIKE
EYES.
>> THE RING-TAILED LEMURS ARE
ACTUALLY AWAKE DURING THE DAY
MOST OF THE TIME.
BUT CERTAIN LEMURS ARE
NOCTURNAL.
THE MADAGASCAR PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT THEIR RELATIVES ARE SPIRITS
INSIDE THE LEMURS.
THEY HAVE A GREAT HISTORY.
>>Dave: LOOK HOW HE'S USING HIS
HANDS.
HE WAS JUST USING -- HE HAS
OPPOSABLE THUMBS.
>> HE DOES HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS
JUST LIKE WE DO.
HE WILL USE CERTAIN TOOLS.
IN FACT, SCIENTISTS THAT HAVE
OBSERVED THEM IN ZOOS USING
TOOLS JUST LIKE MONKEYS AND
APES.
IT HASN'T BEEN OBSERVED IN THE
WILD, BUT IN ZOOS IT'S BEEN
OBSERVED.
SO THEY ARE VERY, VERY SMART
ANIMALS.
AND THEY ARE REALLY NEAT.
SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, ARE THEY
EASY TO TAKE CARE OF?
THEY ARE SMART.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE RAISING A
THREE- OR FOUR-YEAR-OLD.
IF A THREE- OR FOUR-YEAR-OLD
NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF --
>>Dave: A PERPETUAL THREE- OR
FOUR-YEAR-OLD.
>> I DON'T HAVE ONE, SO I
COULDN'T TELL YOU.
>>Cyndi: THIS LEMUR, AS SWEET
AND KIND AND GENTLE AS HE IS, HE
DOES HAVE SHARP TEETH BECAUSE I
DID END UP WITH MY FINGER IN HIS
MOUTH A WHILE AGO.
>>Dave: IT DOES HAPPEN.
>>Cyndi: YES, HE'S ADORABLE, BUT
I CAN UNDERSTAND FULLY WHAT
YOU'RE SAYING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE LIKE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
LEARN ABOUT THEM.
VISIT YOUR LOCAL ZOO, IF YOU ARE
VISITING FLORIDA, VISIT THE
SUNCOAST PRIMATE SANCTUARY TO
SEE THEM, BUT REMIND YOUR
CHILDREN OR YOUR HUSBAND OR
WHOEVER THINKS IT MIGHT BE A
NEAT IDEA TO GET AN EXOTIC PET
THAT IT'S JUST LIKE RAISING A
CHILD, ESPECIALLY WITH SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
>>Dave: RIGHT.
NOW, YOU SAID THEY WERE
OMNIVORS, MEANING THEY EAT
MOSTLY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
>> THEY MIGHT EAT PROTEIN.
THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THEY'VE ALSO BEEN SPOTTED IN THE
WILD EATING DEAD BIRDS.
>>Dave: LOVELY.
>> VERY RARELY.
THEY ARE MOSTLY FRUIT EATERS.
THEY HAVE A REALLY, REALLY NEAT
SOCIAL STRUCTURE.
MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT
RING-TAILED LEMURS IS THAT THE
SOCIAL TROUPES ARE RULED BY THE
FEMALE, WHICH MEANS THAT FEMALES
EAT FIRST.
THE FEMALES DEFEND THE TERRITORY
SO THEY HAVE A REALLY COOL
SOCIAL STRUCTURE.
AND SCIENTISTS ARE LEARNING MORE
AND MORE ABOUT LEMURS, BECAUSE
FOR YEARS AND YEARS, WE DIDN'T
EVEN KNOW HOW THEY WERE
CLASSIFIED.
>>Cyndi: KELLY DIEDRING HARRIS,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING
ANDY IN.
>>Dave: YES, ANDY, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US.
>>Cyndi: ANDY, AS MUCH AS I
WOULD LOVE YOU TO STAY AND BE
OUR MASCOT, GOOD THAT YOU GO
BACK TO YOUR FAMILY AT THE
SANCTUARY.
>>Dave: KELLY DIEDRING HARRIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
STILL AHEAD ON "DAYTIME" ...