Ring tailed Lemurs

This is a ring tailed Lemur. They are well known for the hit film series Madagasgar and being in most zoos. This is a photo I took while at Cots World Wildlife Park near my birthday. They had a lemur walk through there which I loved. The lemurs were so sweet.

Ring tailed Lemurs are known in the scientific community as Lemur Catta. They are part of the Strpsirrhini family. This family also includes other lemurs and bush babies.

They live in family groups of up to 30, with the females normally being in charge. During the day they enjoy sunbathing. Sadly, they are listed as Endangered due to habitat loss.

Of all the lemurs, the ring tailed is related to the Bamboo Lemur the closet, this was found from DNA testing and their behavioural similarities. They share many communication traits and morphalogical traits, meaning that they have similar body features.This is only a theory held by some in the community, as these traits are also shared with many other Lemurs.

The average weight of a ring tailed lemur is 2.2kg, making them on the larger side of lemurs. If you split up the lemur into measurements, their body would average out to be between 39 - 46cm and its tail would be about 56 - 63cm long. The striking tail that they have is not just for show, it can in fact help them with balance in trees and jungles. This tail always ends in a black tip.

Ring tailed lemurs have a Tapetum lucidum, which means that they have a reflective area behind the retina of the eye. This is useful because it means that during night, they can see much better.

Lemurs function well both on the ground and in trees, they spend around 70% of time on the ground and the rest in trees. A group of lemurs is called a troop, and this troop has a territory of around 15 and 86 acres. Due to this, overlap of territory is likely, and can cause skirmishes. It is estimated that they share the island areas where they inhabit with up to 24 other species of lemur.

They face threats both native to Madagasgar and from elsewhere. A predator that you may have heard of is the Fossa, a small but long creature native to the island. Another regional threat are hawks. On the other hand, introduced small Indian Civets and domestic cats/dogs are also dangerous to the primates.

They eat leaves and fruits, mainly from the Tamarind trees. If the trees are in season, they can make up to 50% of the lemurs diet.

I hope you learned something new today!
-Dari