5 apps for the lemur owner
Sometimes a wiseacre editor (we have a few) suggests we do a Five Apps post for a particularly offbeat area of interest. And sometimes we actually start brainstorming these. "Five Apps for the Lemur Owner" has been on our "to hit" list for ages now.
The problem is we're not entirely sure we can get behind the idea of private lemur ownership. Sure, there are USDA-licensed lemur breeders, so you can buy a lemur legally in the US and feed it with easily-available primate-chow, but there are many good reasons that lemurs top lists of worst-pet-choices. And better ways to spend your money.
That being said, TUAW has been promising a 5 Apps for the Lemur Owner write-up for years now. And it all came down to put up or shut up. We decided to put up. We hope you take this post with the lighthearted humor that is intended. On to the Monkey Business.
For US$1.99, you can load your iPhone with Monkeys!!, (yes, those two exclamation points are part!! of its name!!), an app that offers over a hundred "fascinating images that [your pet lemur] will love...you'll never find a better selection of gorillas, apes, chimpanzees, lemurs, and other primates!" Perfect for the lemur whose just a wee bit bored with the primate who actually delivers the primate-chow and cleans up after it.
If your lemur is something of a speciesist snob, there's an entire app devoted to lemurity. iLemur (free) offers "The first interactive encyclopedia of lemurs." The application helps you discover "lemur species from a dynamic mosaic," encouraging you to "Find the cutest!" Lest you be put off by this title, be assured the app is full of facts, offering physical characteristics, ecology, conservation status, and more.
The Primates (also free) provides an all-round guide to all primates including lemurs, orangutans, gorillas, the guy you sit next to at work, and more. The marketing text specifies that "every primate lover should have this application."
Moving on...
There are primates aplenty to be enjoyed with ZooBorns, a free app that ties into the much-loved baby animal site. If you have not bookmarked ZooBorns in your browser, do so now. I'll wait. It's not a lemur-specific site, but it's one of the best child-friendly web pages around.
Finally, we give you Banana Gun. Because someone had to. This free-app lets you roleplay as one of the last surviving bananas in the world, coming under attack by rabid monkeys. Only the elite banana warriors will triumph.
And with that, we invite you to go bananas. (Next up? 5 Apps for the Amish. Send in your suggestions.)
