Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Strepsirrhini

      Infraorder: Lemuriformes

        Superfamily:  Lemuroidea

          Family:  Lemuridae

            Genus:  Lemur

              Species:  catta

 

COMMON NAME:  Ring-Tailed Lemur

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:  Madagascar

 

HABITAT:

• rainforest

• deciduous forest

• gallery forest

• subalpine forest

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

• ringed tail

• brown/grey fur

• patches of white fur on their faces, ears, and underbelly

• black ring around eyes

• bright yellow or amber eyes

• hind legs are long / forelegs are short

• dental pattern: 2.1.3.3

• opposable thumbs

 

DIET:  Omnivore

• fruits

• plants

• invertebrates

• leaves

• flowers

• water

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:

• walks or runs quadrupedally on the ground and tops of tree branches

• tail is help up vertically for balance

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:  

• Multimale-Multifemale

 

PARENTAL CARE:  

• mother is primary caregiver

• grooming by other females

 

COMMUNICATION:

• barks

• howls

• screams

• clicks

• purrs

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

• Lemurs are very vocal.

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Near Threatened

 

To learn more about Lemur catta, visit the following websites:

1.  http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11496/0

2.  http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=4730

3.  http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/ring-tailed_lemur

 

Information and photographs compiled by M. Campos and E. Hernandez.