Ring-tailed lemur

Habitat
Southern and southwestern Madagascar

Lifespan
Up to 16 years

Weight
Up to 2.2 kg

Height
39-46 cm excluding tail

Gestation period
4.5 months

Number of offspring
1-2 offspring (often twins)

Conservation status
Endangered

Did you know…

• Ring-tailed lemurs are prosimians. Prosimians evolved before monkeys and apes. They are so ancient that they lived while dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
• Prosimians can be identified by their wet noses, unlike monkeys and apes, which have dry noses.
• The tail of a ring-tailed lemur is longer than its entire body.
• Ring-tailed lemurs are social animals and often live in groups of 15-20 individuals.
• Ring-tailed lemurs follow a matriarchal system, meaning the females in the group are dominant.
• Even the lowest-ranking female in the group has control over the males.
• Knuthenborg’s ring-tailed lemur group consists exclusively of males.
• Male lemurs use scent marking against rivals. The male deposits scent marks from the end of his tail and then waves the foul-smelling tail in front of his rivals.
• Ring-tailed lemurs spend most of their time on the ground, unlike other lemur species.
• Lemurs enjoy sunbathing, especially after a cold night. You can often see them sitting facing the sun with their arms outstretched, resembling a little Buddha.

Meet the ring-tailed lemurs in Lemurskoven.