Common name: Ring-Tailed Lemur
Scientific name: Lemur catta
Conservation Status: Endangered
At the zoo: Sisters Nova (17y) & Luna (16y), Sun (male, 6y), and Cosmo (male, 2y); you can usually find them on their large island habitat beside the park.
Habitat:
Ring-Tailed Lemurs are only found in the primary forests of Madagascar. They normally spend their time in low to mid elevations around tall trees with broad crowns.
Diet:
Ring-Tailed Lemurs enjoy fruit, berries, leaves, flowers, tree bark sap and small invertebrates.
Median Life Expectancy:
17 years
Biology:
Ring-Tailed Lemurs have very dense, grey and white fur, black skin, and their tails are longer than their bodies. This helps them balance when they are jumping from tree to tree, as they are arboreal creatures. The rings on their tails act as camouflage in the shade-dappled trees.
They are threatened due to habitat loss, hunting, slash-and-burn agriculture, and capture for the illegal pet trade.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that Ring-Tailed Lemurs live in a matriarchal group? This means the females are dominant over the males.
