Lemurs (pronounced /ˈliːmər/ US dict: lē′·mər) are a clade of strepsirrhineprimatesendemicto the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures (ghosts or spirits) of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species. Although lemurs often are confused with ancestral primates, the anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes, and humans) did not evolve from them; instead, lemurs merely share morphological and behavioral traits with basal primates.
Tarsiers are haplorrhineprimates of the genus Tarsius, a genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all the species living today are found in the islands of Southeast Asia.
The meerkat or suricateSuricata suricatta, a small mammal, is a member of themongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and inSouth Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members. Meerkats have an average life span of 12–14 years.