Ring-tailed lemurs are about the size of a Cottage cat. They are about 17 inches long and have a tail that is about 24 inches long. They weigh about 7 pounds.
These are sociable animals, traveling in groups of anywhere from 3 to 25 animals. The females are dominant, which allows them first access to food and the choice of whom to mate with. They live in arid and open areas and forests and spend much of their time on the ground. Their diet consists of fruit, leaves, flowers, herbs and other plants. They will sometimes eat insects and small vertebrates. Lemurs can live up to 25 years.
Ring-tailed females are able to give birth at 3 years of age in the wild and asearly as 18 months when in captivity. They produce offspring annually after that. In the wild, mating begins in mid-April. The babies are born in August and September. One offspring is usual, but twins are fairly common. Infants are weaned at 5 - 6 months of age.
Ring-tails use grooming to form social bonds within the group. Like all prosimians, ringtails groom in a rather unique way. They have 6 lower teeth that stick straight out from their jaw, making a sort of comb that the animals use to groom their fur and the fur of other group members.Ring-tailed lemurs are found in south and southwestern Madagascar. The forests they live in are in danger of being converted to farmland, overgrazed by livestock and used for other purposes. The ring-tail is also hunted for food in some areas and also kept as a pet. Luckily these animals are protected in certain areas and breed very well in captivity.
Just like cats, ring-tailed lemurs mark their territory. They have scent glands on their wrists and chests that they use to mark their paths. When ring-tailed troops travel throughout their home range, they keep their tails raised in the air, like flags, to keep group members together.
The little Ring-tailed Lemur shown at top comes from Aurora World. It is 12 inches long. Check the Gift Shop to see if there are any Lemurs in stock.
Order: Primates; Suborder: Prosimii; Family: Lemuridae;
Genus: Lemur; Species: catta
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