Tuesday, May 8, 2012

A Lemur a day for the month of May

Wouldn't that be nice? A new lemur ATC every day of the month.
Well, I can't promise a lemur a day, but I can promise a lemur today.

This is Blanche:
 

Blanche is the daughter of a Counsellor and lives in the charming tree-city of Belo-Sur-Tsiribhana. She is a species of lemur that is commonly referred to as a Decken's Sifaka but in my novel she's called a tsibahaka - that's the Malagasy name. It's also the Malagasy name for her closely related species - the crowned sifaka. Not to be confused with the crowned lemur to which it is not at all related. Blanche befriends Aurelia on her journey and masquerades as her sister. The two species are not related - Aurelia is a silky simpona, more closely related to the diademned and Milne-Edwards species.  It's kind of odd because the two species fit the same description, but when you see them side by side, you can't mistake one for the other. I think Silkys have broader heads and their faces are more a greyish-pink (they turn pink as they age) whereas Deckens are pure black. Deckens are less endangered too, and more widespread. Whilst Blanche is pure white, Deckens can be splotched with colour. Of course, if you've noticed in the latest pictures of Aurelia she now has pale golden fur on her arms and legs. This is because her father is actually a diademed sifaka. And "Aurelia" means golden, too.
 
But enough about Aurelia, let's talk some more about Blanche. Blanche is a higher class of lemur than Aurelia is used to. She is sophisticated and likes to keep her fur clean. That does not mean she can not be persuaded into the occasional adventure! Her favourite hobbies are sunbathing, grooming and gossiping.

Blanche will be available for trade.

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