Ring Tailed Lemur

Species: Lemur catta

Physical Description:

Height: 15-18 inches
Tail length: 22-25 inches
Weight: 3-3.5
Coat: thick and soft, rosy gray coloring, white underside, ringed tail with alternating white and black bands
Skin: black skin on nose, hands, and feet; scent glands near wrists. In males these glands are overlaid *" a horny spur. Eyes: binocular vision
Locomotion: fluid motion, walks with a still, leaves ground with little effort, sails to height of approximately 10 feet. Spend more fin)e on the ground than any other type of lemur.
Longevity: 20+ years

Geographic Location: Madagascar

Ecology:

Habitat: In trees, drig tailed lemurs prefer broad horizontal limbs to thin, less stable branches. Also use ground extensively.
Home Range: in groups of 5-30 with both male and female dominance hierarchies, but females dominant to males
Day Range: the group travels during the day and use tails as a visual signal; day ranges vary greatly, recorded as approximately 900-1000 m
Population Density: 6-23ha/15-57 acres; each group consists of an average of 15 lemurs; groups cover between 15-57 acres

Diet:

Social Organization:

Group size: 3 to 20+ individuals, average 18 with multiple adult males and females Females are dominant and remain in natal group; males transfer out
Females are dominant not only over males, but have their own dominance hierarchy among females which leads to better access at feeding sites
Dominant males lead other males with a tail held high and curved in an 'S'
Rank does not play a role in mating
Defined territories tend to overlap with other groups
Young are raised by the entire group; orphans are 'adopted'
Aggression: During ritualized fights, animals smear tails with secretions from scent glands at wrists and then waive the tail at opponents

Intelligence:

Reproduction:

Sexual Maturity: for males, 18 months; for females, 16 months Length of
Gestation: 132-134 days
Females are fertile for a very short period of time. Estrus period ranges from March to July.
The onset of the mating season is usually mid-April to early May.
Births generally occur in early autumn
Litter size: 1 infant per female, twins rarely occur
Interbirth interval: 1 year
Infants weigh 1.4-2.8 oz at birth
30-50% infant mortality within ft first year Pairs crowd close together in sleeping trees

Parental Care:

Infants carried by females for 6 months
Infants carried on the mom's belly for 1-2 weeks, then on her back for 1-2 weeks
Infants walk around 4 weeks, return to mother only to sleep and eat
Relationships between mothers and daughters last throughout life, sons eventually go off to other groups
The young are raised by the entire group

Sources:

Fairbanks, Lynn A. and Michael E. Pereira. Juvenile Primates. New York: Oxford Universfty Press. 1993.

Ganzhem, Jorg U. and Peter M. Keppler, ed. Lemur Social Systems and their Ecological Basis. New York: Pienum Pmw. 1993.

Grzimek's EncycAoWia of Mammals, Vol. 2. St Louis: McGraw-Hill Publishing Go. 1990.

Sanderson, Ivan T. The Monkey Kingdom. Philadelphia: Chilton Books. 1963.

Sussman, Robert W. and Ian Tattlesall, ed. Lemur Biology. New York: Plenum Press. 1975.

Watts, Elizabeth S. Biology of the Living Ptimates. Dubuque: Brown Company Publishing. 1975.