Although they can be found in a relatively wide geographic range, their distribution is patchy. They usually feed and sleep in the forest canopy but spend the majority of their time on the ground as this species is the most terrestrial of all the lemurs.
What they eat Ring-tailed lemurs have a diverse diet although they are especially fond of the fruit and leaves of the tamarind tree. They also eat flowers, bark, sap, rotten wood, earth, insects, invertebrates, and even human crops. How they behave Active during the day diurnal , ring-tailed lemurs travel in troops of animals, a mix of males and females. Females dominate over males and may compete with each other for overall leadership.
While females tend to stick with their natal birth group in an extended family, males migrate to another troop once they reach sexual maturity. Ring-tailed lemurs communicate through vocalizations over 20 call types and scent-marking. Females mark branches in their territory with their sexual organs while males scent their tails with secretions from wrist and shoulder glands. Males may also solicit females by tail anointing.
How they reproduce The ring-tail breeding season begins in mid-April in Madagascar. Six-year-old male ring-tailed lemur Jones pictured above may look like he is a lemur somewhat lacking in arms as he sniffs a sapling in Natural Habitat Enclosure 9, but rest assured, he is a well-armed male in the prime of life! His odd posture is due to the fact that, in typical male ring-tail marking behavior, he is mixing secretions produced by scent glands on the insides of his wrists antebrachial glands with stinky secretions produced by glands on his chest brachial glands.
When the two secretions are well mixed, Jones can proceed to mark his territory with his wrist glands which he will wind up doing here or, if he were facing a rival, thoroughly anoint his tail for a stink fight. Male ring-tails have scent glands on their wrists, chest, and scrotum — and each produces a different scent. Females have just one scent gland, which is located in the genital area.
Via scent, females may advertise not only their fertility, but the presence of a pregnancy and how far along it is. When this photo of Jones was taken, peak breeding season October-November in North Carolina for ring-tailed lemurs was fast approaching. In preparation for facing rivals, males begin to significantly beef up in late summer in more ways than by just putting on weight…!
Alas for Jones, there were no ring-tailed lemur females designated for breeding at the DLC that fall, so he had to be content with just stinking up the place! Ring-tailed lemurs are found in south and southwestern Madagascar , from Fort-Dauphin west and as far north as Morandava on the west coast.
A small additional population lives near the mountains of Andringitra on the southeastern plateau. The gallery forests that ring-tailed lemurs prefer are rapidly being converted to farmland, overgrazed by livestock, and harvested for charcoal production. Ring-tailed lemurs are also hunted for food in certain areas of their range and are frequently kept as pets.
Fortunately, ring-tails are found in several protected areas in southern Madagascar, but the level of protection varies widely in these areas, offering only some populations refuge from hunting and habitat loss. Ring-tailed lemurs breed well in human care, and over 1, can be found at approximately zoos around the world. Social structure: large groups of up to 30 with one dominant female in Madagascar, family groups with a dominant female at the DLC.
Habitat: deciduous thicket and spiny desert in southern Madagascar. Diet: Fruit, leaves, flowers, herbs, other plant parts. Occasionally they will also eat insects and small vertebrates especially in the dry season when food is scarce. Number of young: 1 - 3 per season. One is most common but twins are not rare if food is plentiful. Simply visit our amazon. Symbolically adopt a ring-tailed lemur: Want to learn more about this species AND help support their care, not only here but also in Madagascar?
Visit the Duke Lemur Center: The DLC is only partially funded by Duke, so we rely heavily on revenue from tours to help pay for lemur care and housing as well as our conservation work in Madagascar. So, something as simple and fun as visiting the Lemur Center can help us help the lemurs! Don't promote ring-tails as pets: In the United States, ring-tailed lemurs are occasionally marketed as pets, and the pet trade can have devastating consequences for both the lemur and its owner.
Engage in conservation locally: Though it doesn't directly affect lemurs, the DLC also promotes local conservation. We encourage visitors to support local ecosystems and protect local habitats, similar to the way we're helping the local people in Madagascar preserve lemurs' natural habitat. A fun way to do this is to plant a local pollinators garden at your home or school.
The DLC itself incorporated a Monarch Waystation into its landscaping for the summer tour path in You can also stop using dangerous chemicals on your lawn, which might end up in lakes and streams and harm fish, frogs, and other animals.
All rights reserved. Common Name: Ring-Tailed Lemur. Scientific Name: Lemur catta. Type: Mammals. Diet: Herbivore. Group Name: Troop. Size: Head and body: Weight: 5 to 7.
Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Decreasing. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram.
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