Ring-tailed Lemur

Lemur catta

Size

Up to 2.2kg
Distribution

Madagascar
Diet

Herbivore

Endemic to Madagascar, Ring-tailed lemurs are easy to spot due to their long, striped black and white tails.

Thought to have floated to Madagascar on rafts of vegetation millions of years ago, Lemurs, like many of Madagascan species, have evolved very differently to other animals around the world due to Madagascar’s isolation. They spend a lot of their time on the ground (as you might notice when you visit the park) foraging for fruit, leaves, flowers, sap and tree bark to eat. Fun fact! It is the females that are dominant in the Lemur world.

Ring-tailed Lemurs use their distinctive tails to to communicate with each other, they will also use them in “stink battles” by rubbing scents on their tails and flicking them at other Lemurs.

Where in the park?

Take a walk through Lemur Woods a spot the playful Lemurs!

Visit Lemur Woods

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Species

Ring-tailed Lemurs are endemic to Madagascar, just off the east coast of Africa. They are mostly found in the dense forests of South West.

Did you know?

Although Lemurs are primates they are not monkeys.

You can often see Lemurs sunbathing in a Buddha-like position, their black skin helps them to absorb the sun’s heat through the fine fur on their stomachs.

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Breeding

Lemurs tend to have 1-2 babies with a gestation period of around 140 days. Ring-tailed lemurs are social animals, living in large groups of up to around 24 individuals. They have a strict female dominant hierarchy.