Ring-tailed Lemur

Fascinating facts about the Ring-tailed Lemur

• A troop may contain up to 30 individuals, but only females lead. All females outrank every male, even the lowest-ranking female being above the highest-ranking male. This matriarchal system shapes daily life: females stay in their birth troop while males move every 2-5 years.
• Ring-tailed lemurs are diurnal sun-bathers; they sit upright on their tails, expose their white belly fur, open their palms and close their eyes to soak up heat. This behavior, combined with a dense fur coat that can even clog electric clippers, lets them regulate body temperature across a temperature range of -12 °C to 48 °C. By thermoregulating in the open, they conserve energy for long foraging walks that can cover up to a kilometre each day.
• Wild numbers have crashed to roughly 2,000 individuals as of early 2017, down from historic levels, making the species endangered. Habitat loss from slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting for bushmeat and the exotic pet trade drive this decline. With only a few thousand left.
• Ring-tailed lemurs can weigh as much as a newborn baby, averaging 2.2 kilograms (4.9 lb). Their bodies measure 39-46 cm long while their striped tails stretch 56-63 cm, making the tail longer than the body and useful for balance and signaling.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Ring-tailed Lemur

In the sun-baked forests of Madagascar, the ring-tailed lemur moves with an air of languid elegance, its long, striped tail streaming behind it like a banner as it navigates the rocky outcrops and scrubby trees with effortless agility. With a curious and social nature, these lemurs roam in large troops, their large, round eyes watchful and intelligent as they forage for fruits, leaves, and flowers in the arid landscape. As they leap and bound through their domain, their high-pitched calls echoing through the air, it is clear that these charismatic creatures are truly one of the most captivating sights in the animal kingdom.

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