Ringtailed Lemur
Portrait of a young ringtailed lemur. Click image for larger version.
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.
Vocalizations
Listen to recordings of the vocalizations of a ringtailed lemur. All sounds are in wav format.