Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Lemurs and Little Primates · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Together with its cousin the red ruffed lemur, it is the biggest member of its lemur family, measuring 100 to 120 cm long.
2. This lemur is a true fruit lover. In the wild, fruit makes up 92% of its meals, with a little nectar, leaves and seeds.
3. It is famous for its noise. Nearly the whole group joins in loud choruses of roars and shrieks.
4. Mothers have litters of 2 to 6 babies that cannot cling to her fur. So she builds a nest where they stay until they can leave it.
5. When food is plentiful, groups stay big. When it runs short, they split into smaller groups, then join up again later.

The quiz

1. How long is a black-and-white ruffed lemur?

• 20 to 30 cm
• 100 to 120 cm (correct)
• 2 to 3 m
• 50 to 60 cm

It measures 100 to 120 cm, making it one of the largest in its family.

2. What makes up most of this lemur's diet in the wild?

• Insects
• Bamboo
• Bird eggs
• Fruit (correct)

Fruit makes up 92% of its diet.

3. What is this lemur famous for?

• Its loud roaring choruses (correct)
• Its silent hunting
• Its long winter sleep
• Swimming across rivers

Most of the group joins in loud roar and shriek choruses.

4. Where do newborn ruffed lemurs stay, since they cannot cling to their mother?

• In a burrow underground
• On their father's tail
• In a nest (correct)
• In the water

The mother builds a nest where the babies stay until they can leave on their own.

5. What do groups do when food runs short?

• They sleep for months
• They split into smaller groups (correct)
• They move to another island
• They stop eating fruit forever

Groups split up when food is scarce and rejoin later.

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