Wildlife
Ring-tailed lemurs are the most easily recognisable of all the lemur species, they're the only ones to have a long, bushy and black-and-white striped tail. Spending more time in open spaces than the other lemurs of Madagascar, ring-tailed lemurs are also very sociable and groups will soak up the early morning sun together, sitting cross-legged in a yoga position. Females share the parental duties in crèches.
Scientific name: Lemur catta
Rank: Species
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Pitched battle
Rival groups of lemurs fight over territory, with babies in tow.
After a four month pregnancy, the babies are born in spring. They’re gentle mothers and though they usually only have one baby, this one has twins. Families are very affectionate and stick by each other in times of need. Then these mothers show a very different side to their personality. If there’s a conflict between the groups, it’s the females that lead the charge. And these little babies go to the front line with them. They are going on patrol to protect their patch and the babies had better hang on tight. There’s an air of solidarity and purpose. Their boundaries are clear-cut, but the neighbours have been trespassing. The battle lines are drawn. It gets more and more ferocious and the babies have to cling on for dear life. If they fall they’ll be surrounded by the enemy and probably won’t survive. Very few animals gang-up like this and go to war to protect their food, but it‘s something that we can easily identify with. One final skirmish and the boundaries are secure. It seems to be all over now and thanks to their strong grip, none of the babies were hurt. They all managed to escape the battle without injury. And now that the group have protected their supply of food, they can get on with the business of eating, tucking into their favourite - the tamarind pods.
Thriving lemurs
The most adaptable of all lemurs, ringtails have found a life of ease in the southern forests.
The most adaptable of all lemurs, ringtails have found a life of ease in the southern forests.
Thieving lemurs
Ring-tailed lemurs steal nutritious but hard to catch cicadas from another hunter.
Ring-tailed lemurs steal nutritious but hard to catch cicadas from another hunter.
Smell of success
Male ring-tailed lemurs use scent to defend their patch and entice a mate.
Male ring-tailed lemurs use scent to defend their patch and entice a mate.
Scent sense
Ring-tailed lemurs use scent for much of their communication.
Ring-tailed lemurs use scent for much of their communication.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Ring-tailed lemur can be found in a number of locations including: Madagascar. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Ring-tailed lemur distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Near Threatened
Population trend: Decreasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar. Known locally in Malagasy as maky ([makʲ] ( listen), spelled maki in French) or hira, it inhabits gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island. It is omnivorous and the most terrestrial of lemurs. The animal is diurnal, being active exclusively in daylight hours.
The ring-tailed lemur is highly social, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. It is also female dominant, a trait common among lemurs. To keep warm and reaffirm social bonds, groups will huddle together. The ring-tailed lemur will also sunbathe, sitting upright facing its underside, with its thinner white fur towards the sun. Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on its sense of smell and marks its territory with scent glands. The males perform a unique scent marking behavior called spur marking and will participate in stink fights by impregnating their tail with their scent and wafting it at opponents.
As one of the most vocal primates, the ring-tailed lemur uses numerous vocalizations including group cohesion and alarm calls. Experiments have shown that the ring-tailed lemur, despite the lack of a large brain (relative to simiiform primates), can organize sequences, understand basic arithmetic operations and preferentially select tools based on functional qualities.
Despite being listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List and suffering from habitat destruction, the ring-tailed lemur reproduces readily in captivity and is the most populous lemur in zoos worldwide, numbering more than 2,000 individuals. It typically lives 16 to 19 years in the wild and up to 27 years in captivity.
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Learning
Tree dweller
Hierarchical
Herbivorous
Maternal care
Polygynous
Social
Chemical communication
Territorial
Viviparous