Like all lemurs, this species is only found in Madagascar.

Subspecies
Two.

Life span
27 years.

Statistics
Head and body length: 41cm, Tail length: 55cm, Weight: Female 2.5kg, Male: 2.4kg

Physical description
Male black lemurs are all black, but females have a brown back, with white under-parts, a grey head and long white ear-tufts.

Distribution
Black lemurs live in North Madagascar.

Habitat
They inhabit primary and secondary forest, as well as timber and coffee plantations.

Diet
Black lemurs feed on fruit, leaves, seeds, flowers, nectar, mushrooms and invertebrates.

Behaviour
Black lemurs are cathemeral (have irregular bursts of activity throughout the 24 hr period) but are more active at night than during the day, when the flowers of night-blooming trees provide nectar. They live in multimale-multifemale groups with about 7-10 members, but groups may join with other groups to forage. Black lemurs have a territory size of 13.5-100 acres depending on the forest type.

Reproduction
During September to November, the females give birth to one to two infants. She carries the infants for six months.

Conservation status
Black lemurs are listed by the IUCN as Vulnerable. The subspecies L.m. flavifrons is possibly already extinct.