Red Ruffed Lemur
An adult red ruffed lemur relaxes on a hot summer day. Click image for larger version.
Coloration: Coats consist of rusty red fur with a white patch on the back of the neck. Stomach, tail, forehead and inside of limbs are black. Length: body 53cm, tail 60cm. Weight: 3.5-4 kg
Alarm Calls: Ruffed lemurs have an elaborate system of alarm calls that alert group members to danger from predators. As many as twelve different calls have been recorded at the Duke Lemur Center, and they seem to vary with the location of the source of danger. Natural predators that can trigger alarms in Madagascar include boa constrictors, eagles and hawks, and the fossa (a weasel-like animal found only on Madagascar). One individual ruffed lemur can set off an alarm call that will alert even the farthest ranging group members.
Red ruffed lemurs can understand the alarm calls of black and white ruffed lemurs and will often "join in" even though these two species do not come from the same part of Madagascar.
Vocalizations
Listen to recordings of the vocalizations of a red-ruffed lemur. All sounds are in wav format.
- Growl/snort (16k)
- Pulsed squawks (252k)