Fast Facts:

Ring-Tailed Lemur

Conservation

All of Madagascar's lemur species are endangered due to habitat destruction caused by human encroachment. Forests are destroyed by clearcutting for timber, overgrazing, slash-and-burn agriculture, and to make room for vanilla and cocoa plantations. Only one-tenth of the original forest vegetation of Madagascar exists today.

Efforts to save ring-tailed lemurs: The exportation of lemurs from Madagascar was banned about 20 years ago. Ring tailed lemurs do well in captivity and breed easily. Other lemurs do not fare as well.

Special Features

• Lemurs are "prosimians". They are primates, but are not as highly evolved as monkeys or great apes. One easily recognizable feature that differs between the lemurs and other primates is the long, almost dog-like nose of the lemurs.
• Whereas the other primates rely more heavily on vision and hearing, lemurs rely more on their sense of smell.
• Ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands on the wrist and inner side of upper arm. In males the glands are overlaid with a horny spur.
• A male will draw his tail across the scent glands on his arms to mark his tail. He then waves his tail in the direction of a rival male. The flashy ringed pattern of the tail also serves as a visual warning. Lemurs also have scent glands on their hind ends. Both males and females mark trees for territorial markers.
• Lemurs have comb-like front teeth that are used for grooming.
• There are 11 species of true lemurs and 7 species of dwarf lemurs. Lemurs are found only on the island of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands near Madagascar.

Social Structure & Behavior

Lemurs will typically start their day by venturing out in search of food. Females lead the group on their daily journeys. They may travel 1 to 3.5 miles on their quest for the best foraging sites. The lemurs may spend part of the day sun bathing - stretched out on a tree branch soaking up some rays. Mutual grooming is a very important activity in the ring-tailed lemur society. Unlike the simians (monkeys & apes), lemurs use their hands only for grasping the partner. They use their comb-like front teeth for the actual grooming. At the end of the day, the lemurs will congregate in a group sleeping tree. They vocalize with a hooting cry just before going to sleep, presumably to enhance group cohesion.

Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups of between 20 and 24 individuals of both sexes & all ages, occupying a defined territory. A typical community would include 6 males, 8 females, 4 juveniles and 4 babies. Females are "highly respected" by other group members and are life members. Females are the "stable nucleus" of the group. Males come and go from groups. Females are dominant over males, and groups are female-led. Females of the group then have their own dominance hierarchy, which is important in access to the best feeding sites.

Social dominance is slightly more important among males, although not as severe and extreme as in some other primates. A dominant male will walk with his tail up in an S-shaped curve. Lower-ranking males tend to keep to the rear of the group with their tails and heads held low. Unlike most primate societies where the alpha male has primary breeding rights, the rank system is not as important in ring-tailed lemur groups. The male social status collapses during the short period of female heat. The winners of "savage fights" get to mate, regardless of previous rank.

Females take the lead in "scent battles" between opposing groups at territory boundaries. They will try to intimidate opposing females by both physical threats, leaping and darting at their opponents, and scent marking on trees.

Communication:
Ground warnings: A series of low clicks serves as an early warning when danger is perceived on the ground. The warning causes members of the group to seek shelter in a bush or tree. If there is a real threat, the clicks will turn to a loud yap. The loud yap is also used as the first response to when a known threat is sighted on the ground.

Threats from the air: When a harrier hawk or buzzard is sighted in a tree, chirps and moans are elicited. Some lemurs may even climb the tree. When the threat takes flight, the lemurs let out shrieks.

Breeding & care of young:
May is the breeding season in the wild, but the mating season lasts only two weeks. The gestation period is 136 days, and although twins are possible, single births are most common. Young are born with blue eyes which later turn to the yellow adult color.

The young are raised by the entire group. Females are tolerant of other females' babies, and in some cases they will even adopt orphans.

The infant ring-tailed lemur is carried on its mother's belly for first 2 weeks of life. It is carried on her back for 1-2 weeks after that. By 4 weeks of age, young lemurs are quite independent and return to their mother only to sleep and eat.