ring tails
Lemurs spend most of their time in the trees, but this species also spends considerable time on the ground. Ring tailed lemurs prefer gallery forests and Euphorbia bush habitat, but they also live in many other types of forests in Madagascar.
In the Berenty Reserve in southern Madagascar, ring tailed lemurs inhabit 3 different types of forest. These include the Ankoba forest, which consists of Pithosolobium trees and a few tamarinds, figs, and Melia; the Malaza forest, which consists of Tamarindus indicus, tall figs, celtis, and creteva. (The sub-canopy of this forest type consists of Rhinorhea and Celtis, with great numbers of peppers and sometimes capers.); and finally the Berenty Reserve, which is a spiny forest. Lemur catta does not spend as much time here, but can occasionally be seen. The spiny forest contains trees called Alaudia and Euphorbia, which look like cacti. Kalanchoe, Aloe, and Xerisicyos are also found in the area.
Lemur catta is an average sized lemur, with a head and body length of 385 to 455 mm. The tail is longer than the body, measuring 560 to 624 mm. Individuals weigh between 2.3 and 3.5 kg.
Grouping Ring Tailed Lemurs
The most noticeable characteristic of Lemur catta is its tail, which is black and white. In fact, the species gets its common name from the ringed pattern of the fur on the tail. These lemurs have gray or rosy brown backs with lighter gray or brown hind legs and white stomachs. Their faces are also white with triangular black markings around their eyes and black noses.
Ring tailed
lemurs are social animals, living in groups of 12 to 24 individuals. Although sometimes considered less territorial than other lemur species, these animals do show territorial behavior during breeding season. Females tend to be more territorial than males.
Ring tailed lemurs live in social groups of between 3 and 20 individuals. Females are dominant to males, winning all of the fights between the sexes. Female kin appear to form the stable core of L. catta social groups. Males disperse from their natal groups around the time of sexual maturity, then migrate from troop to troop during the mating season. As many as 1/4 of all of the males leave in search of new troops each mating season. This may help to reduce inbreeding, as males are not likely to then mate with their daughters.
Although females are 100% dominant over males, males are active socially. During the birthing season, males sometimes commit infanticide.
Females are usually friendly towards the offspring of other females, and have not been documented to be infanticidal. Groups of females switch infants, babysit, form play groups and even allow infants other than their own to nurse. This sort of extended family caregiving is probably facilitated by kin relationships among females.
Ring tailed lemurs often interact socially while feeding and sunbathing. Sunbathing occurs during the early morning hours before feeding. Ring tailed lemurs can be seen sitting up right with their front legs resting on their hind legs, exposing their stomachs to the sun (picture a human meditating in a yoga position with legs crossed).