Ring-tailed lemur

알락꼬리여우원숭이

A primate found only in Madagascar, carrying its black-and-white ringed tail upright as it travels with its troop. Females lead the group, and males compete in "stink fights" by wafting scent from their tails. In the morning they sit with arms spread to sunbathe.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Diet: Eats both plants and meat (omnivore)
Weight: about 2.2 kg
Length: about 1 m
Lifespan: up to about 27 years
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN EN)
Habitat: forests

Quick answers

Where does the Ring-tailed lemur live?

It lives in forests.

How big is the Ring-tailed lemur?

It grows to about 1 m and 2.2 kg.

What does the Ring-tailed lemur eat?

Its diet: eats both plants and meat (omnivore).

How long does the Ring-tailed lemur live?

It can live up to about 27 years.

Is the Ring-tailed lemur endangered?

It is listed as Endangered (IUCN EN).

The ring-tailed lemur is a primate from Madagascar and the most famous of all lemurs, thanks to its long black-and-white ringed tail. It is the only member of its genus, and like all lemurs it lives only on the island of Madagascar. It lives in the south, in forests along rivers and in dry spiny scrub.

It is about the size of a cat and weighs around 2 kilograms. Unlike most lemurs, it spends a lot of time on the ground. It eats fruit, leaves and other food, so it is an omnivore. Ring-tailed lemurs are active during the day and live in troops of up to about 30 animals, led by females. The IUCN lists the species as Endangered.

Sunbathing and stink fights

In the morning the lemurs sit upright with their arms open and their pale bellies turned to the sun, and this helps them warm up. They also huddle together to keep warm and to bond, and they groom each other. Smell is very important. Males hold stink fights, in which they rub their tails with scent and wave them at rivals. Both sexes rub their faces and bodies on trees and rocks to mark their home.

A noisy troop

Ring-tailed lemurs are among the noisiest primates, using many calls to keep the group together and to warn of danger. In tests, they have shown they can organise sequences and choose tools based on how they work. Wild numbers have dropped because of habitat loss, hunting and the pet trade, and the wild population may be just a few thousand animals. More than 2,000 live in zoos, where they breed easily.

Fun facts

Troops of ring-tailed lemurs are led by females.
Female lemurs lead the troop.
Males fight with smell, wafting scent from their tails toward rivals.
Lemurs live only on Madagascar, and the ring-tail is the one most people recognise.