All About Parrots as Pets

All About Parrots as Pets

Parrots are among the most fascinating of all the bird species. They are friendly, intelligent, and fun, especially if you can teach your bird how to talk! Parrots are great problem solvers and great imitators of sounds including human voices. Research has shown that these birds may be among the most intelligent birds on earth.

If you think you know a thing or two about parrots you haven't seen anything yet! These birds will continually astound and surprise you with their antics. Parrots have a very endearing tendency to show affection to their owners and can be very rewarding pets. These are very tender and loving birds that will keep you entertained for hours. They also make unique companions that will be happy to share your life, your shoulder, and your home.

There are more than 300 species of parrots in the world so finding one won't be a problem but is a parrot the right pet for you? Keeping a parrot is a big responsibility and not one to be entered into because you think he'll do tricks, talk or sit on your shoulder. These birds are super-smart and need a dedicated owner to keep them happy. It won't hurt to have some extra cash on hand either!

Parrots require a range of foods to be included in their diets to keep them healthy and this can be expensive. Your bird will also need a roomy cage and plenty of toys and treats to keep it occupied when it has alone time. Don't be fooled into thinking all parrots can learn to talk and do tricks. If your bird doesn't, you will still need to give it plenty of attention.

The larger parrots will require at least one hour a day of personal time with you. These are birds that live a long time. Parrots like cockatoos and macaws can live to 80 years of age! One hour a day for 80 years is a whole lot of time to devote to a bird.

What about visits to the veterinarian? Parrots, like any other animal, can get sick. Can you afford the cost of vet bills? If you travel away from home for work or on vacation who will look after your parrot?

Parrots are chewers! They love to chew on everything in sight, your couch, your doors, your books, and your clothes and guess what? - they won't outgrow it!

If you think you can handle all of the above and more then by all means get a parrot as your new best friend. However, if in doubt, please reconsider. Like most animals, parrots tend to bond with their owners. Your bird may find it upsetting to be moved from home to home. Try to make your friendship a lifelong one.

Here at Parrots-Info-Source.com, you will learn everything you need to know about parrots, and how to take care of them as well as what you need to keep your feathered friend happy. You'll find tips and advice on Parrot Breeders, Parrot Supplies, Parrot Cages, Parrot Toys, and Parrot Food.

Lemurs Behavior

Remember this hilariously popular song sung by beloved King Julien, from the movie, 'Madagascar'? Yeah most of you sure do! And I am sure you have already figured it out why am I humming this song. What could be a more apt beginning to begin this article on lemur's behavior, than this famous number! Lemurs, native to the island of Madagascar are a group of biological taxa or species that share features inherited from a common ancestor (known as a clade) of strepsirrhine primates.

These mammals were named after the Latin word 'lemures', which stands for the meaning of ghosts or spirits. This is due to the fact that the vocalizations which these animals produce are similar to what would be portrayed for a ghostly atmosphere. Also, due to their reflecting eyes and nocturnal habits, lemurs are named so. Details on lemurs behavior; about its different aspects have been detailed in the following.

Behavior of Lemurs

Feeding Habits of Lemurs
Let's begin this piece with some basic insights on lemurs diet. Studies show that smaller lemur species have a diet which consists mostly of fruits and insects. While, the larger mammals are more into consuming plant material. However, when they are hungry and have less of options, the need of the hour is to be content on any anything that is edible. This is the reason why, these primates are also known to be among the opportunistic animal species. Different research reveal that about 55% of all plant species in Madagascar become the foods of these animals.

Social Systems of Lemurs
Lemurs are among those animals which are known to be socially improvised. Depending on the kind of species, a group may consist of 2 - 20 individuals. One of the most important facts about lemurs behavior is related to group bonding. This they do by grooming each other within each group. Species which have a nocturnal lifestyle, are lone hunters, but only at night. During the day, they rejoin the group. Species, gender, location, and season are the factors which govern the extent or degree of socialization in these animals. This is especially noticeable in nocturnal lemur species.

If the home range of a male tends to extend over and cover a part of one or more nesting groups of females, then this male will share his space with other females and their young. While, in other species such as the sportive lemurs and fork-marked lemurs, one female or maybe two are allowed to share a home range with a male. Lemur groups often have a female supervisor, who stays in control of leading males and other females in searching for food and shelter. Unlike other primates, here the females get the lion's share and have first food choices. Males simply wait for their turn.

Locomotion In Lemurs
The locomotion behavior of lemurs depend upon the species. The below table is a quick study of what type of locomotion behavior is and was exhibited by different lemur species.

Lemur Species	Locomotion Behavioral Characteristic
Indris	Vertical clinging and leaping
Bamboo lemurs	Vertical clinging and leaping
Mesopropithecus	Slow arboreal quadrupedal
True lemurs	Fast arboreal quadrupedal
Ruffed lemurs	Fast arboreal quadrupedal
Ring-tailed Lemur	Partially terrestrial quadrupedal
Monkey lemurs	Highly terrestrial quadrupedal
Sloth lemurs	Sloth-like suspensory locomotion

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• Lemurs as Pets
• Lemurs Facts

Quick Facts About Other Lemurs Behavior

One important aspect of lemurs behavior, which cannot be ignored is their communication. Sound, sight, and smell are the three modes which these animals put in use to establish communication with each other. These animals make least or no use of visual signals, as they lack the required facial appearance. However, the ring-tailed lemur is an exception to this fact. It has been observed to yawn as a threat stare, pulling back lips when submissive and pulling back ears for scent marking. Grooming or touching is also a sort of communication in these animals.

Reproduction, another vital aspect of lemurs behavior, is subjected to seasonal breeding, except for some selected species. The breeding season do not last for more than 3 weeks each year. Females get pregnant 4 months after mating, and monsoon or rainy season is when most births take place. A female can give birth to one or two infants. However, there may be even up to 6, in case of the ruffed lemur.

Coming to the concluding part of this article on lemurs behavior, the activity patterns of these primates vary with their kind of species. Most smaller species are known to show nocturnal traits, while diurnal behavior is shown in the larger ones. Then again, there are some larger lemurs which are active during the day and at night, as well.

Most lemurs habitat comprises mainly of trees and bushes. The ring-tailed lemur prefer to stay on the ground. As mentioned, Madagascar happens to be the home to these animals, where they may be found living in moist, tropical rainforests, and some, in dry desert areas.