|
Range: south and southwestern Madagascar from
Tolagnaro in the south-east to just south of Morondava in the
west coast and inland as far as the vicinity of Ambalavao. The
Ring-tailed lemur ranges into the interior highlands further than
does any other lemur.
Habitat: spiny forest, dry scrub, deciduous
forest and gallery forest
Listing: IUCN Threatened; USFWS Endangered;
CITES Appendix I It is protected by Malagasy law.
Diet: variety of fruits, leaves, flowers, bark,
sap and occasional invertebrates and chameleons. They favor the
leaves and pods from the Kily tree, Tamarindus indica.
MZG diet: Browse biscuits, fruit and vegetables, kale. Favored
item is figs.
Behavior: diurnal, semi-terrestrial, spending
more time on the ground than any other lemur due to the semi arid
environment they inhabit
They have vocalizations reminiscent of cats purring and are sometimes
called cat lemurs. They will make this sound when stroked as well.
Excited individuals will utter bark-like cries to warn their fellows.
Before going to sleep, they will utter a hooting cry, audible
over a long distance, that presumably supports group cohesion,
but also notifies other groups of the ring-tail’s presence.
After eating, they often sit up and stretch their arms wide and
sunbathe
Reproduction: mating is highly synchronous, taking place in a
2 – 3 week period between mid-April and mid-May. This way
weaning occurs when essential food is available. “Stink
fights” occur between males when they challenge one another
for the female. This involves anointing their tails with secretions
from the wrist glands and waft the scent in the direction of the
opposing male.
Gestation is 134 - 138 days giving birth in August and September
in their native habitat. Twins are often born but singletons are
the most common. The infant clings to the mother’s underside
initially and will begin riding on her back at two weeks of age.
At 2 ½ months the infant ventures off the mother to play
and explore. They are weaned at 5 months of age. Sexual maturity
of the female is 3 years old. For males it is 2 years. All males
leave the natal group after maturity. Established adult males
transfer between groups every 3-5 years.
Social Life: they stay in large groups of 3
– 25 individuals with an average of 13-15. There are equal
numbers of adult males and female plus juveniles. They have a
well- defined and maintained hierarchy with the females being
dominant and the alpha female forming the focal point for the
group as a whole. Males have strict hierarchy but always are subordinate
to the females. “Central” male generally interacts
with the females more than the other males.
They are not strictly territorial but have home ranges. Scent
marking is important in demarcating the range. Females use genital
smears and males wrist glands that are armed with a horny pad
to gouge scent into the bark.
When groups meet, the dominant females are the ones primarily
responsible for defense. This includes staring, lunging, and occasional
physical aggression
Other Interesting Facts: the Ring-tailed Lemur
is the most terrestrial of all the Malagasy primates
The Ring-tailed lemur sits up to eat, holding the food with its
deft fingers and leaning its head backward so the fruit juices
don’t soil the fur
Malagasy names for the Ring-tailed lemur are maki and hira
Life expectancy is over 20 years
MZG Animals: We have a group made up of a grandmother,
two daughters and a son and a granddaughter. This matriarchal
type of grouping creates the least amount of aggression.
The Ring-tails will be exhibited with a group of Red-ruffed lemurs
in the Madagascar exhibit. |