text x_quick_Title2=Class: Mammalia ~Order: Primates ~Family: Lemuridae~(Lemur catta)
text x_quick=Where In the World~` The ring-tailed lemur is found in southern Madagascar.~` Madagascar has been the only known range of the ring-tailed lemur since Madagascar has been an island. (Millions of years ago, when it was part of the continent of Africa, ring-tailed lemurs may have had a broader range.)~` No one knows an actual population for the ring-tailed lemur, but their numbers are definitely declining.~ ~Take a Look!~` A ring-tailed lemur is about 18 inches long without its tail - the tail, all by itself, is even longer than the head and body - 21 inches long.~` The adults weigh between five and eight pounds.~` Males are a bit larger than females, but females are dominant in the family groups.~` Ring-tails are easy to identify - the bold black and white rings on their long tails are sure give-aways!~` They have greyish brown backs and grey legs. The belly, chest, and face are white, and black rings circle the eyes like a mask.~ ~All in the Family~` The ring-tailed lemur is related to all the other lemurs. Its closest relatives are the grey gentle lemur, the broad-nosed gentle lemur, and the golden bamboo lemur.~ ~Just the Facts~` Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups of between 20 and 40 members. Each group has its own territory, and they won't share with other ring-tails.~` The females are in charge in the ring-tail society, even though the males are a little larger.~` Young females are welcome to stay with the group all their lives, but males leave the group as soon as they are old enough to find another group to live with.~` Ring-tails are most active in the daylight - that means they are diurnal. In fact, ring-tailed lemurs like nothing more than a long sunbath in a warm spot.~` These lemurs love to play, and will leap onto each other for mock wrestling competitions.~\
` They can't use their tails to hold on to things as other monkeys can. The ring-tails use their long tails for balance.~` Fruit is the main part of their diet, although they sometimes eat leaves and other plant parts. Every now and then, they eat an insect, or a flower.~` Mother ring-tails usually have just one infant at a time, although twins aren't rare.~` A ring-tail baby is alert and active at birth. It will cling to its mother's chest for its first two weeks, then it rides on her back.~` The life span of a ring-tailed lemur is not known.
;Habitat
text x_hab= The island of Madagascar is located on the eastern side of Africa, opposite the country of Mozambique. At one time, millions of years ago, Madagascar was part of Africa, and Africa was part of a huge, super-continent called Gondwanaland. Before the continents began to drift apart, the lemur was the most advanced life form. Then Madagascar separated over the span of thousands of years, taking a world of lemurs and other species with it. On the mainland, monkeys evolved, pushing the lemurs off the top notch - but the monkeys never made it to Madagascar. Today, there are no lemurs left in the world except on the island of Madagascar (and its smaller, surrounding islands). ~\
Ring-tailed lemurs live in primary growth forests, or forests that have never been cut down and then allowed to grow back. They like old, large trees and plenty of space on the ground to walk about and take sunbaths. They require several different kinds of fruit trees, so something is always ripe year round. And they need a good supply of water. Ring-tailed lemurs go higher into the mountains at the centre of the island than any other lemur species.
;Food
text x_eat= Ring-tailed lemurs are vegetarians - they only eat plants. Actually, every now and then the ring-tails will eat an insect or two, which technically makes them meat-eaters, too. (An animal that eats both plant and animal matter is called an omnivore, which is what you are.) But they eat so few insects and no other meats that it's safe to call them vegetarians. ~\
Ring-tails mostly eat fruit. They need to have several different kinds of fruit in their territory so there's always something ripe all year round. They also eat leaves and other plant parts - they occasionally munch on a flower. Other occasional supplements to the diet include tree bark, grasses, and resin (which they chew from trees with their lower teeth, which are shaped a bit like a chisel).
;Habits and Characteristics
text x_life= Ring-tailed lemurs live in large, noisy groups of from 20 to 40 members. They have their own territory, and other lemurs are not allowed on their territory. But since they don't make signs that say "No Trespassing," how do the other ring-tails know where one territory ends and another begins? Well, the ring-tails have scent glands on their forearms, and the males have a horny spur above these glands. They go up to the trees at the edges of their territory and rub their arms up and down the bark, spreading their scent. (The horny spurs help to scratch the trees and set the smell a little deeper.) Then, even after they've moved away, other ring-tailed lemurs "read" the message, which says very plainly in smell, no trespassing! ~\
The males have another use for their scent glands - sometimes two males will have a "stink fight." They rub their tails along the scent glands and then "flick" their scent at their opponent. Males have a lot of time for stink fights, because females are in charge in the ring-tail world. The dominant female decides where the group will go to find food in their territory, where they should sleep each night, and when the group should stop for a long sunbath. All lemurs love the sun, but ring-tails are particularly fond of lazing in a sunny spot. They bask in the heat of the tropical sun, eyes closed and bodies slumped. Only their alert ears are "awake," listening for trouble. ~\
Groups are built around a few adult females and their offspring. Males generally stay on the fringes. When young ring-tails grow up, the females are welcome to stay with their mother's group, but the males have to leave. They journey to find another pack where they'll be a bit more welcome. When a group travels, they move mostly along the ground. (Ring-tails are good climbers, and spend much of their time in trees, but they move about on the ground more than most other lemur species.) The females always go first, following their leader to their destination - a good place to sleep, a sunny patch of ground, or a tree full of ripe fruit. After the females, the adult males come next, with the young lemurs. Following in the back are the juvenile males - too old to ride on their mothers' backs, too young to venture off on their own in search of a new pack, these "teenagers" prefer each other's company. ~\
Mothers usually have one infant at a time, although twins aren't rare. Her baby is aware from the first day of its life, and clings to its mother's chest as she moves about. After about two weeks, the baby switches places, and rides on its mother's back, which is more comfortable for both mum and young. When they are about two months old, they begin to eat fruit, but continue to nurse from their mother until they are about five months old. By the time they are six months old, the ring-tails are fully independent. But ring-tails never outgrow a love of play. Sometimes, one will launch an "attack" on a group-mate, leaping onto its back and starting a wrestling match. If the attack takes place on the ground, the battle is fairly even - but if the lemurs are sitting in a tree, then the victim has to not only wrestle, but hang on, too. The attacker just trusts that the victim won't let go, causing both of them to fall. Sometimes they do fall, but their long tails give them excellent balance, and they usually land on their feet and go right on wrestling. ~\
;Threats
text x_threat= The only lemurs in the world are on the island of Madagascar and the nearby Comoro Islands. Any damage to that habitat will be disastrous for all the lemurs, including the ring-tails. As the human population of
