Why do ring-tailed lemurs sunbathe?

They sit upright facing the sun with arms outstretched in a distinctive "sun-worshipping" posture during cool mornings, a behavior thought to help them warm up after the night.

Are ring-tailed lemurs endangered?

Yes. The IUCN has classified them as Endangered since 2014, with the wild population estimated at only around 2,000 individuals as of 2017 due to habitat loss and hunting.

Do male or female ring-tailed lemurs lead the group?

Females are dominant. Unlike most primate species, female ring-tailed lemurs outrank males socially, getting feeding priority and enforcing hierarchy within the troop.

Ring-tailed Lemurワオキツネザル

Lemur cattaEN— Endangered

The ring-tailed lemur is a highly social, diurnal primate endemic to southern and southwestern Madagascar, instantly recognizable by its long tail banded in black and white. It lives in female-dominated troops of around 13–15 individuals and is famous for its sunbathing posture and scent-based "stink fights" between males. With the wild population estimated at only about 2,000 individuals as of 2017, it has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN since 2014.

Ring-tailed Lemur (reference photo) — Photo: Alex Dunkel (Maky) / CC BY 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Primates / Lemuridae Source
Size: Body length 38.5–46 cm, tail 56–63 cm
Weight: About 2.2–3.5 kg
Lifespan: Wild: females rarely exceed 16 years (record 20 years) / captive: record of 27 years
Diet: Omnivore Omnivorous, eating fruit, flowers, leaves, herbs, insects, and chameleons; in the dry season tamarind fruit can make up as much as 50% of the diet, and it travels about 5.6 km a day to forage
Activity: Diurnal; in early morning it sunbathes with its belly turned toward the sun
Distribution: Endemic to southern and southwestern Madagascar, inhabiting deciduous forests, gallery forests, and spiny scrublands across a range of protected areas. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

The tail is ringed with 12–13 white and 13–14 black bands and is longer than the body itself; lemurs hold it aloft as a visual signal to keep the group together. Source
Unlike most primates, females socially dominate males, controlling feeding priority and enforcing a clear hierarchy within groups of roughly 13–15 individuals. Source
Males engage in "stink fights," dousing their tails with scent from forearm glands and wafting them at rivals to settle territorial disputes without physical combat. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 26

Ring-tailed Lemurワオキツネザル

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

Gokatsuraike Animal ParkMieAbout 10 minutes from the Seiwa-Taki Interchange.

Tobe Zoological Park of Ehime PrefectureEhimeOpened in 1988

Asahiyama ZooHokkaidoOpened in 1967

Izu Shaboten ZooShizuokaOpened in 1959

Utsunomiya DoubutsuenTochigiAbout 5 minutes from the Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking for 1,000 cars.

Yokohama Shiritsu Nogeyama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1951

Iwate SafariParkIwateAbout 45 minutes from the Ichinoseki IC, about 30 minutes from the Wakayanagi-Kannari IC, or about 25 minutes via National Route 284.

Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

Kumamotoshi DoushokubutsuenKumamotoTake the tram bound for Kengun and get off at the Doshokubutsuen-Iriguchi stop, then walk 10 minutes.

Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi PrefectureKochiA 20-minute walk or 13-minute rental-bicycle ride from Noichi Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Gomen-Nahari Line.

Saitamakenkodomodoubutsu Shizen KouenSaitamaOpened in 1980

Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

Akitashioomoriyama DoubutsuenAkitaFrom bus stop 7 at the west exit of the JR Akita Station bus terminal, take the Akita Chuo Kotsu "Araya Line" bus for about 30 minutes.

Suzaka ZooNaganoFrom the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, take Route 403, turn right at the Kotaka-machi intersection, turn left at the Kami-Hatcho intersection, cross Garyu Bridge, and turn left for the south entrance.

Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

TOBU ZOOSaitamaFrom Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen Station (west exit), about 10 minutes on foot (600 m) or about 5 minutes by bus.

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Toyamashifamiri ParkToyamaOpened in 1984

Fuji Safari ParkShizuokaOpened in 1980

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

Japan Monkey CentreAichiAbout a 20-minute walk from the East Exit of Meitetsu Inuyama Station (go straight along the tree-lined road for about 300 m, turn left at the Umetsubo Kosenkyo Kita intersection, and follow the road for a little over 1 km).

Former facilities

North Safari SapporoHokkaidoOpened in 2005

Temporarily closed facilities

Koufushiyuuki Kouen Fuzoku DoubutsuenYamanashi

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