The information that is displayed on this post is mostly copied and pasted for external sources that I have discovered when conducting secondary research on Ring Tailed Lemurs.
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Source 1:
Lemurs
are primates found only on the African island of Madagascar and some tiny
neighboring islands. Because of its geographic isolation, Madagascar is home to
many amazing animals found nowhere else on Earth. Lemurs may have floated there
eons ago on "rafts" of vegetation and evolved in isolation over
countless centuries.
Ring-tailed lemurs are unmistakable
because of their long, vividly striped, black-and-white tail. They are familiar
residents of many zoos.
Lemurs use their hands and feet to
move nimbly through the trees, but cannot grip with their tails as some of
their primate cousins do. Ring-tailed lemurs also spend a lot of time on the
ground, which is unusual among lemur species. They forage for fruit, which
makes up the greater part of their diet, but also eat leaves, flowers, tree
bark, and sap.
Ring-tailed lemurs have powerful
scent glands and use their unique odor as a communication tool and even as a
kind of weapon. Lemurs mark their territory by scent, serving notice of their
presence to all who can smell. During mating season, male lemurs battle for
dominance by trying to outstink each other. They cover their long tails with
smelly secretions and wave them in the air to determine which animal is more
powerful.
Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups
known as troops. These groups may include 6 to 30 animals, but average about
17. Both sexes live in troops, but a dominant female presides over all.
Ring-tailed lemurs are endangered,
largely because the sparse, dry forests they love are quickly vanishing.
Source 2:
Found only in the southern part of Madagascar in
the dry forest and bush, the ring-tailed lemur is a large, vocal primate with
brownish-gray fur and a distinctive tail with alternating black and white
rings.
Male and female ring-tailed lemurs are similar physically. They are roughly
the same size, measuring about 42.5 cm (1.4 ft.) from head to rump and weighing
roughly 2.25 kg (5 lb.).
Highly social creatures, ring-tailed lemurs live in groups averaging 17
members. Their society is female-dominant, and a group will often contain
multiple breeding females. Females reproduce starting at 3 years of age,
generally giving birth to one baby a year.
When born, a ring-tailed lemur baby weighs less than 100 g (3 oz.). The
newborn is carried on its mother’s chest for 1-2 weeks and then is carried on
her back. At 2 weeks, the baby starts eating solid food and begins venturing
out on its own. But the juvenile is not fully weaned until 5 months of age.
Although they are capable climbers, ring-tailed lemurs spend a third of
their time on the ground foraging for food. They range far to find leaves,
flowers, bark, sap, and small invertebrates to eat. When the lemurs travel over
ground, they keep their tails in the air to ensure everyone in the group is in
sight and stays together.
Aside from using visual cues, ring-tailed lemurs also communicate via scent
and vocalizations. They mark their territory by scent. A male lemur will also
engage in stink fights during mating seasons, wiping his tail with the scent
glands on his wrists and waving it at another male while staring menacingly.
Eventually one male will back down and run away.
Vocally, ring-tailed lemurs have several different alarms calls that alert
members to danger. They have several predators, including fossas (mammals
related to the mongoose), Madagascar Harrier-hawks, Madagascar buzzards,
Madagascar ground boas, civets, and domestic cats and dogs.
Ring-tailed lemurs are considered endangered by the IUCN Red List. The main
threat to their population is habitat destruction. Much of their habitat is
being converted to farmland or burned for the production of charcoal. However,
the ring-tailed lemur is popular in zoos, and they do comparatively well in
captivity and reproduce regularly. In captivity, ring-tailed lemurs can live
for nearly 30 years, compared to up to 20 in the wild.
Source 3:
Impossible to confuse with any other lemur species, the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is a distinctive primate with a long, bushy, black-and-white ringed tail. A medium-sized lemur, it is the most terrestrial of Madagascar’s primates (2) (6).
The ring-tailed lemur’s dense fur is greyish-brown on the back and grey on the rump and limbs. The underparts are cream to off-white, and the neck and crown are dark grey. The ring-tailed lemur has a white face with large, dark triangular patches around the eyes, a dark snout, and large, white, well-furred ears (2) (6). Dark black skin is visible on the ring-tailed lemur’s nose, eyelids, lips and feet. This species’ distinctive tail is longer than the head and body, and is tipped with black. Male and female ring-tailed lemurs are similar in appearance and body size (6).
The only species in its genus, the ring-tailed lemur receives its genus name, Lemur, from the Latin for ‘ghost’ or ‘spirit’, and its species name catta in reference to its cat-like form (6).
Size
Total length: 95 - 110 cm (2)
Head-body length: 38.5 - 45.5 cm (2)
Tail length: 56 - 62.5 cm (2)
Average weight: 2 - 2.4 kg (3) (
The ring-tailed lemur is a diurnal species (2) (6) and spends much of its time on the ground, although it is also able to move well through the trees (6). This lemur can often be seen sunning itself by sitting on its haunches and spreading its limbs in a yoga-like position, exposing its underside to the sun. The ring-tailed lemur often sleeps with its nose tucked between its hind legs and its long tail curled up over its back (6).
The diet of the ring-tailed lemur is quite varied, consisting of fruit, leaves, flowers, bark and sap (10), as well as large insects and even small vertebrates such as chameleons (9). This species usually feeds primarily on fruit, but the exact composition of the diet varies between habitats and seasons (2) (6). The ring-tailed lemur is also known to supplement its diet by consuming soil, possibly to increase its sodium intake (6).
A social species, the ring-tailed lemur occurs in larger groups than any other primate in Madagascar (2). Groups usually contain equal numbers of males and females, plus their young, and typically number between 3 and 25 individuals (2). Within the group, females are dominant over males (2) (6), with the ‘alpha female’ forming the focal point of the group as a whole (2). There are well-defined dominance hierarchies between group members (2).
Ring-tailed lemur groups are not strictly territorial, but do occupy preferred, overlapping home ranges and show strong territorial defence when they come into contact with another group. Territorial confrontations are generally dominated by females, and involve facing off against the opposing group, sometimes calling and alarm barking and occasionally fighting (2) (6). After such an encounter, the group will usually retreat towards the safety of the centre of its home range (2).
Both male and female ring-tailed lemurs use scent marks to mark their home range. Females use genital smears and males use scent from a wrist gland which has a horny pad that allows the male to gouge scent into bark (2). The ring-tailed lemur also communicates using a wide range of vocalisations (6).
Mating in the ring-tailed lemur is highly synchronous, taking place over a short period in mid-April (2) (6). The young are then born around September (2) (6) (9), after a gestation period of about 130 to 144 days (6), with this careful timing ensuring that the young lemurs are weaned just as food becomes most plentiful (2) (9). Male ring-tailed lemurs compete for access to females by daubing their tails with scent from their wrist glands and wafting this pungent odour towards their opponent (2) (6) (9). These ‘stink fights’ are usually sufficient to establish rank, but physical aggression can also occur (2) (9).
The female ring-tailed lemur occasionally gives birth to twins, but a single infant is more common. The young lemur clings to the female’s underside at first, but after two weeks or so it moves around to ride on the female’s back, and begins to explore its environment (2) (6). The ring-tailed lemur reaches sexual maturity at about 2.5 to 3 years old, and females usually give birth once a year (2) (6). Female ring-tailed lemurs rarely leave the group into which they were born, but males leave the group on reaching maturity, and will continue to move between groups every three to five years throughout their lives (2) (6) (9).
In the wild, the ring-tailed lemur is thought to live for up to 15 or 16 years (6). Predators of this species include the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Madagascar harrier-hawk (Polyboroides radiatus) and Madagascar buzzard (Buteo brachypterus) (2) (6).
The ring-tailed lemur is endemic to south and southwest Madagascar, where it is patchily distributed from Tolagnaro in the southeast to just south of Morondava on the west coast, and inland as far as Ambalavao (1) (2) (6) (7). An apparently isolated population occurs in the Andringitra Massif on the south-eastern plateau (
The ring-tailed lemur is found in a broader range of habitats than any other lemur species, and can tolerate a variety of extreme environments that other lemurs cannot (9), including some of the hottest, driest and coldest in Madagascar (1). It is commonly found in spiny forest, lowland gallery forest, dry scrub, dry deciduous forest and even rock canyons (1) (2) (6) (9).
Although the ring-tailed lemur generally occurs at low elevations (2) (9), the population in the Andringitra Massif is found at higher elevations, occurring above the tree line at around 2,600 metres in one of the most climatically extreme areas in Madagascar. Its habitat there includes exposed rock, low bushes and subalpine vegetation (8).
Despite being a well-studied species and an iconic symbol of Madagascar (9), the ring-tailed lemur is thought to be at serious long-term risk of extinction (2). The greatest threat to this species comes from widespread habitat loss, with its bush and forest habitats being reduced by a combination of burning, overgrazing and wood harvesting for charcoal production (1) (2) (6).
The ring-tailed lemur is also hunted for food in many areas, and individuals are often trapped and kept as pets (1) (2) (6).
The ring-tailed lemur is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1) and is listed on Appendix I of CITES (5).
Unfortunately, despite being protected by national and international law, the ring-tailed lemur is still at risk from illegal hunting and from the effects of habitat loss. It is commonly kept in captivity and is seen in many zoos around the world, as well as being a common sight in some of Madagascar’s most visited reserves, but this may give the public a false impression of its abundance (6).
The ring-tailed lemur is found in a number of protected areas across its range, including six national parks, and many of the best remaining patches of forest within its range are found on sacred lands (1). International trade in the ring-tailed lemur is banned under its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (5).The isolated population of ring-tailed lemurs in Andringitra occurs within the Andringitra National Park. Further surveys of this population have been recommended, together with the development of a system to control the fires that threaten the habitat of this iconic Madagascan primate (8).
Source 4:
Ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta) are the most intensely studied of all the lemurs: they are also the most easily recognizable lemur and the most common in captivity. They are also the most terrestrial of all the lemurs. Although widely distributed throughout the dry forests of southwestern Madagascar (some of the hottest, driest and least hospitable forests in the country), they exist in only a few protected areas.
Unfortunately, the sparse, level forests inhabited by ringtails are easily felled by even the most primitive of tools. Hence ringtailed habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate. In fact, satellite images suggest that ringtailed lemur habitat is vanishing at an even greater rate than forest habitat in other parts of Madagascar.
Male ringtails are equipped with scent glands on their wrists which are used in “stink fighting” with a rival male. Here, two males stand facing each other a few feet apart and, repeatedly drawing their tails through these glands, they proceed to wave the tails over their heads, all the while staring in a hostile fashion at their rival. Eventually, one of the males will break down and run away. During breeding season in the N.C. autumn, competition between the normally “laid back” males becomes fierce as they fight for the right to breed. Like the other diurnal lemurs, ringtails are seasonal breeders, and their matings and births (which occur in the fall and spring) are highly synchronized. All infants in a large troop may be born in a matter of days.
Due to the large number of L. catta in captivity, the ringtailed SSP calls for only a few breeding pairs of animals each year so that precious captive breeding space can be occupied by the rarer species of lemurs.
Their diet consists of fruit, leaves, flowers, bark, sap and the occasional invertebrate. Due to the fact that vegetation in forests inhabited by these lemurs is sparse and non-continuous, they are often found traveling on the ground. As an adaptation to survival in a harsh climate, the ringtails range far and feed from a wide variety of vegetation.
Ringtailed females usually give birth first at three years of age and produce offspring annually thereafter. In the wild, mating begins in mid-April with infants born in August and September. Single infants are most common, but twins are a frequent sight in ringtail troops when food is plentiful. Initially, infants cling to their mother’s bellies, but can be seen riding, jockey style, on their backs after approximately three weeks. Infants begin to sample solid food after their first week, and will take their first steps away from mom at 3 – 4 weeks. Over the next five months, infants will spend increasing amounts of time on their own, returning to mom to nurse or sleep, until they are finally weaned at 5 – 6 months of age.
Ringtail groups are larger than any other lemur group, containing up to 24 animals (the DLC has two large free-ranging groups of these animals, each containing about ten individuals).
There is a well-defined hierarchy within the group. Females are dominant over all males with the alpha female forming the focal point for the group as a whole. Females live in one group their entire lives, while males migrate from group to group.
When ringtailed troops travel throughout their home range, they keep their tails raised in the air, like flags, to keep group members together. Constant vocalizations among members also keep the group together. Ringtailed lemurs are one of the most vocal primates. They have several different alarm calls to alert members of their group to potential danger.
Ringtailed lemurs are found in south and southwestern Madagascar, from Fort-Dauphin west and as far north as Morandava on the west coast. A small additional population lives near the mountains of Andringitra on the southeastern plateau.
The gallery forests that ringtailed lemurs prefer are rapidly being converted to farmland, overgrazed by livestock, and harvested for charcoal production. Ringtailed lemurs are also hunted for food in certain areas of their range and are frequently kept as pets. Fortunately, ringtails are found in several protected areas in southern Madagascar, but the level of protection varies widely in these areas, offering only some populations refuge from hunting and habitat loss.
Ringtailed lemurs breed very well in captivity, and over 1000 can be found at approximately 140 zoos around the world. The Duke Lemur Center currently houses 35 animals – 15 males and 20 females – with two breeding groups.
Ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta) are the most intensely studied of all the lemurs: they are also the most easily recognizable lemur and the most common in captivity. They are also the most terrestrial of all the lemurs. Although widely distributed throughout the dry forests of southwestern Madagascar (some of the hottest, driest and least hospitable forests in the country), they exist in only a few protected areas.
Unfortunately, the sparse, level forests inhabited by ringtails are easily felled by even the most primitive of tools. Hence ringtailed habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate. In fact, satellite images suggest that ringtailed lemur habitat is vanishing at an even greater rate than forest habitat in other parts of Madagascar.
Male ringtails are equipped with scent glands on their wrists which are used in “stink fighting” with a rival male. Here, two males stand facing each other a few feet apart and, repeatedly drawing their tails through these glands, they proceed to wave the tails over their heads, all the while staring in a hostile fashion at their rival. Eventually, one of the males will break down and run away. During breeding season in the N.C. autumn, competition between the normally “laid back” males becomes fierce as they fight for the right to breed. Like the other diurnal lemurs, ringtails are seasonal breeders, and their matings and births (which occur in the fall and spring) are highly synchronized. All infants in a large troop may be born in a matter of days.
Due to the large number of L. catta in captivity, the ringtailed SSP calls for only a few breeding pairs of animals each year so that precious captive breeding space can be occupied by the rarer species of lemurs.
Their diet consists of fruit, leaves, flowers, bark, sap and the occasional invertebrate. Due to the fact that vegetation in forests inhabited by these lemurs is sparse and non-continuous, they are often found traveling on the ground. As an adaptation to survival in a harsh climate, the ringtails range far and feed from a wide variety of vegetation.
Ringtailed females usually give birth first at three years of age and produce offspring annually thereafter. In the wild, mating begins in mid-April with infants born in August and September. Single infants are most common, but twins are a frequent sight in ringtail troops when food is plentiful. Initially, infants cling to their mother’s bellies, but can be seen riding, jockey style, on their backs after approximately three weeks. Infants begin to sample solid food after their first week, and will take their first steps away from mom at 3 – 4 weeks. Over the next five months, infants will spend increasing amounts of time on their own, returning to mom to nurse or sleep, until they are finally weaned at 5 – 6 months of age.
Ringtail groups are larger than any other lemur group, containing up to 24 animals (the DLC has two large free-ranging groups of these animals, each containing about ten individuals).
There is a well-defined hierarchy within the group. Females are dominant over all males with the alpha female forming the focal point for the group as a whole. Females live in one group their entire lives, while males migrate from group to group.
When ringtailed troops travel throughout their home range, they keep their tails raised in the air, like flags, to keep group members together. Constant vocalizations among members also keep the group together. Ringtailed lemurs are one of the most vocal primates. They have several different alarm calls to alert members of their group to potential danger.
Ringtailed lemurs are found in south and southwestern Madagascar, from Fort-Dauphin west and as far north as Morandava on the west coast. A small additional population lives near the mountains of Andringitra on the southeastern plateau.
The gallery forests that ringtailed lemurs prefer are rapidly being converted to farmland, overgrazed by livestock, and harvested for charcoal production. Ringtailed lemurs are also hunted for food in certain areas of their range and are frequently kept as pets. Fortunately, ringtails are found in several protected areas in southern Madagascar, but the level of protection varies widely in these areas, offering only some populations refuge from hunting and habitat loss.
Ringtailed lemurs breed very well in captivity, and over 1000 can be found at approximately 140 zoos around the world. The Duke Lemur Center currently houses 35 animals – 15 males and 20 females – with two breeding groups.
This information provides context behind the Ring
Tailed Lemur species to the audience giving the audience an understanding of
the primates living habits and how they differ to other primates. The
definition of a documentary is the use of images, footage or interviews of real
events that provide a factual report on a particular subject. As we are
creating a documentary this information is crucial to provide a factual report
of the Ring Tailed Lemur to the audience.
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