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Ring-tails are the most well known of the lemurs. They live in the Southwest corner of Madagascar and are less arboreal than most of their cousins, being quite content to spend large amounts of time on the ground. Males and females both have scent glands on their inner forelegs (seen in the illustration above). Like the Sifakas, ring tailed lemurs like to sun bathe and can be seen in the early morning hours with their undersides exposed to catch the sun. They are also the most gregarious of the lemurs, forming large groups of up to 30 individuals. In these groups, the young are cared for by all the females.

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Size:
Body Length, 18 inches
Weight, 2 ½ - 8 lbs.
Life Cycle:
Weaning, 6 months
Sexual maturity, 15 months
Life Span, 20 years (recorded in captivity)
Reproduction:
Gestation Period, 132-134 days
Young/birth, 1 or 2
Birth Season, varies
Diet:
Leaves, fruit, bark, flowers, grasses
Predators:
Fossa, birds of prey
Social Structure:
Family groups up to 30 members (males and females may form permanent pair bonds)
Territory Size:
13-50 acres
Conservation Status:
Threatened-endangered

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