Ring-tailed Lemur

About the ring-tailed lemur

The ring-tailed lemur is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine, or "wet-nosed," primate, and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white ringed tail. It belongs to the family Lemuridae and is the only living member of the genus Lemur. Like every lemur, it is endemic to Madagascar, where it lives in gallery forests and spiny scrub in the island's southern regions. Locally it is known in Malagasy as maky or hira. The species is omnivorous and, among living lemurs, the most adapted to moving around on the ground rather than in the trees.

Physically, the ring-tailed lemur has a slender frame, a narrow, fox-like muzzle, and dense fur that ranges from gray to rosy-brown across the back, with a white or cream chest and throat. Black triangular patches surround the eyes, and the nose is black. Its signature feature is a bushy tail, longer than its body, ringed in alternating black and white bands — 12 or 13 white rings and 13 or 14 black rings, always ending in a black tip. That tail is not prehensile; the lemur uses it strictly for balance, communication, and keeping the group together. Average weight is about 2.2 kilograms (4.9 lb), with a head-body length of 15 to 18 inches and a tail of 22 to 25 inches, bringing the total length to roughly 37 to 43 inches.

Like other strepsirrhine primates, the ring-tailed lemur has a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer behind the retina that improves night vision, and a moist, glandular nose called a rhinarium. Its skin is dark gray or black even where the fur is white, and is exposed on the nose, palms, soles, and other bare patches. Facial markings vary slightly between individuals, but there are no obvious differences between males and females in appearance.

Behavior and diet

Ring-tailed lemurs are highly social, living in troops of up to 30 individuals, and the species is female-dominant, a trait common among lemurs. Troops huddle together for warmth and to reinforce social bonds, and mutual grooming is a central part of their social life, strengthening relationships while helping remove insects from each other's fur. Unlike many lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs are strictly diurnal, active only during daylight. They are frequently seen sunbathing, sitting upright with their tails tucked and their pale bellies turned toward the sun, palms open and eyes closed.

Scent plays a major role in ring-tailed lemur society. The animals mark territory using glands located near the eyes and near the anus, and males perform a distinctive "spur-marking" behavior, dousing their tails in pheromones and waving them at rivals in what researchers call stink fights. Both sexes also scent-mark trees, logs, and rocks by rubbing their faces and bodies against them. Highly vocal even among primates, the ring-tailed lemur uses many different calls, including ones that maintain group cohesion and others that warn of predators. Experiments have shown that despite a comparatively small brain, the species can organize sequences, grasp basic arithmetic operations, and choose tools based on their functional qualities.

The ring-tailed lemur is omnivorous. It breeds and adapts readily in captivity, and is the most popular lemur species in zoos worldwide, with more than 2,000 captive-raised individuals.

Range and habitat

The ring-tailed lemur is found only on Madagascar, where its range spans gallery forests along waterways and drier spiny scrub habitat in the southern part of the island. Researchers have noted some regional variation — a high-elevation population at the Andringitra Massif has a thicker coat and lighter coloration — but genetic and field studies concluded this reflects local adaptation to cold and sun exposure rather than a distinct subspecies.

Habitat loss is reshaping where the species can live. Malagasy farmers and logging operations frequently use slash-and-burn techniques to clear land for livestock and crops, a practice visible as smoke on the horizon on most days across the island, and it has steadily reduced the forest and scrub the species depends on.

Conservation status

The ring-tailed lemur is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, most recently assessed in 2020, and it has been listed on CITES Appendix I since 1977, which makes trade in wild-caught animals illegal. As of early 2017, the wild population was believed to have fallen to as few as 2,000 individuals.

The main threats are habitat destruction, local hunting for bushmeat, and capture for the exotic pet trade. An estimated 90% of Madagascar's original forest cover has been lost to pasture, farmland, fuel wood, charcoal, and lumber. Feral dogs and forest cats prey on the lemurs, and periodic drought in southern Madagascar can hit populations that are already in decline.