Ringtailed Lemurs

Ringtailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
Range: Madagascar
Status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List)

These cute, low-level primates are the most recognized lemurs, due to their long, ringed tail, and their masked faces. If you look carefully, you will see that their tails always end in a black tuft.

Ring-tails are highly social animals, living in the wild in groups of up to 30 individuals. There is a well-defined hierarchy in the group, with an alpha female dominating. Females live in one "family" their entire lives, while the males migrate from troop to troop. To keep warm, and to reaffirm social bonds, group members will huddle in a lemur ball. They will also sunbathe, sitting upright, with their thin underside fur facing the sun, looking like they are practicing yoga!

The males of the species have a unique fighting behavior called "scent marking" or "stink fighting." They will repeatedly draw their tails through the scent glands on their wrists, and then wave their tails over their heads at their opponent, while staring in a hostile fashion at their rival. Eventually, one of the males will back down and run away.

One of the most vocal of all primates, ring-tailed lemurs have several different "calls." They make distinct sounds to indicate alarm, potential danger, excitement, or a greeting. Ring-tailed lemurs are not picky eaters. They enjoy fruits, flowers, leaves, insects, and small vertebrate prey. Unfortunately, the level forests inhabited by lemurs are easily cut down, causing their habitat to shrink at an alarming rate.

Due their innate abilities, lemurs require more activity and enrichment to keep them occupied and happy; lemurs are the most intelligent of the animals we have at CCI. Experiments have shown that ring-tails can organize sequences, understand basic math, and select tools best suited for a task.

Meet Our Ringtailed Lemurs