Collared Lemur
Like the Blue-Eyed Lemur, the adult Collared Lemur can be about the size of a large house cat, weighing about 5.7 lbs (2.6kg) with a body length of 16 inches (41cm), with a tail as long as 22 inches (55cm). It can live 20-25 years.
Males are brownish-gray with a dark stripe down the back, a dark tail and tail tip, and a lighter underside. Females have a reddish to brown coat and a gray face. Both sexes have a distinct beard that is reddish-brown in females and cream to reddish-brown in males. Collared lemurs are distinguished from the very similar white-collared lemurs by a slightly darker beard.
Feeding
Collared Lemurs have a diet mostly consisting of fruit, young leaves, and flowers.
Fact Sheet
Order: Primate; Suborder: Prosimii
Family: Lemuridae; Genus: Eulemur
Species: fulvus; Subspecies: collaris
Related Forms
There are currently five subspecies of brown lemur housed at the Duke Lemur Center: the Brown lemur ( Eulemur fulvus fulvus ), the White-fronted lemur ( Eulemur fulvus albifrons ), the Collared lemur ( Eulemur fulvus collaris ), the Red-fronted lemur ( Eulemur fulvus rufus ), and the Sanford's lemur ( Eulemur fulvus sanfordi ). All subspecies of brown lemur can interbreed, but geographical isolation of subspecies in the wild prevents interbreeding. All brown lemurs are similar in body size and life history but have different coat markings and coloration.
Key Facts
Adult Size : 4.4 - 5.3 pounds
Social life : Sociable, permanent groups of 3 - 12 animals, but groups as large as 29 have been observed
Habitat : southeastern moist forest -- mostly high plateaus
Diet : mostly fruit, young leaves and flowers
Lifespan : 20 - 25 years in the wild
Sexual maturity : 1 year
Mating : very seasonal June - July
Gestation : approximately 120 days, infants are born between September and November
Number of young : one per year
DLC Naming theme : French names (Babette, Marcel, Antoine, etc.)
Malagasy names : Varika
Interesting Facts
- Collared lemurs are distinguished from the similar white-collared lemurs by a slightly darker beard.
- Collared lemur males are brownish-gray with a dark stripe down the back, a dark tail and tail tip, and a lighter underside. Females have a reddish to brown coat and a gray face. Both sexes have a distinct beard that is reddish-brown in females and cream to reddish-brown in males.
Reproduction
Sexual maturity: 1 year
Mating: June - July
Gestation: approximately 120 days, infants are born between September and November
Number of young: One per year
Social Behavior
Collared lemurs are sociable, living in permanent groups of 3 - 12 individuals. Groups as large as 29 have been observed. Their home range tends to span 17 - 50 acres (7 - 20 ha), usually in the scattered forest fragments of the high plateaus in southeastern Madagascar, from the Mananara River near Vangaindrano south to Fort-Dauphin.
An average Collared Lemur may live 20 - 25 years in the wild.
Habitat
The collared lemur is found in lowland and mid altitude primary and secondary rainforest in a small range in the southeastern tip of Madagascar. This lemur ranges from the Mananara river south to the area north of Tolagnaro. The western limits of its range have yet to be firmly established, and on the north it borders populations of Eulemur fulvus albocollaris with which it might interbreed.
It occurs in only one protected area.
There are six subspecies of brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) distributed around the perimeter of Madagascar, and one subspecies is found on the Comoros Islands (E.f.mayottensis). The seven subspecies, with the exception of the common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus fulvus), generally are quite distinct due to the difference in color of the male's head and cheek ruffs. The red-fronted lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus) is one of the very few species of lemur which has populations on both the east and the west coast of Madagascar (lemurs are not found in the interior of Madagascar). No one knows the exact numbers (or even the precise range) of any of the brown lemurs in the wild. In fact, no one knows the precise remaining numbers of any lemur species. Extensive surveys are needed in order to determine the current ranges for just about all the lemur species.
Brown lemurs live in multi-male, multi-female groups of up to 29 animals, and are active both day and night, mostly at dawn and dusk. Unlike many species of lemur which are female dominant, there does not appear to be a clear dominance hierarchy within groups. Home range size varies from 2.5 to 50 acres. Groups of brown lemurs are very cohesive, and stay closely together as they move through the forest feeding on leaves and fruit. The animals are usually found high in the canopy and they rarely descend to the ground. There may be a significant overlap (up to 20%) of the ranges of neighboring groups, which occasionally leads to hostile (but not violent) territorial encounters. Home range boundaries are probably maintained by vocalizations. In the wild, brown lemurs are generalist feeders, and thus very adaptable.
They eat leaves, fruit, flowers, bark, sap, invertebrates, fungi and even fruits from plantations. They get water by licking leaves and lapping water from tree holes. In captivity brown lemurs have been seen capturing and eating birds and bird eggs. Red-fronted lemurs, like all diurnal prosimian species, are seasonal breeders. Due to their generalist feeding patterns and their social system consisting of multiple adult males and females, groups of brown lemurs are easily maintained in captivity and thrive on just a basic diet of monkey chow and fruit.