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  • Things to Do
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  • Ring-tailed Lemur

Ring-tailed lemur

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Primate Kingdom
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

16-18 years old in the wild,

up to 33 years under human care.

Diet

Diet

Fruit and other plant parts,

insects and other small animals.

Habitat

Habitat

Continuous canopy forest,

brush and scrub forests.

Range

Range

Southern, southwestern

and south-central Madagascar.

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The ring-tailed lemur

Social life

Social life

In the wild, ring-tails live in matriarchal social groups of up to 30 individuals. Females stay with their troop their whole lives. Hierarchy is typically established in their youth through play-fighting. Males are completely dominated by the females - even the lowliest female is superior to the highest-ranked male.

Stink wars and stink flirts

Stink wars and stink flirts

During mating season, the males contest for female attention through ‘stink fights’. Coating their entire tail with smelly secretions from their scent glands, they wave it high in the air, each trying to outstink rival males. Males, especially dominant ones also waft their 'scented’ tail at females to attract them.

Males move between troops every 2-5 years. Many leave their parents’ troops as subadults to join other groups but reality bites. They must fight their way to become one of the top males - lowly-ranked males get smacked around a lot by the females.

Gift of the gab

Gift of the gab

Low-ranking males often end up hanging around the periphery of their troops to avoid being picked on by the others. But these outliers risk getting picked off by predators easily.

Studies show that these males use their gift of the gab to keep within the good graces of their group. They rely on two sounds: a moan to stay in touch with the group in general and a “hmm” sound to signal friendliness towards and maintain ties with more tolerant individuals in the troop.

Language of lemurs

Language of lemurs

Though all the males studied made the two calls, low-ranking ones were more likely to go “hmm”. By targeting preferred individuals in the group, these misfits tread the tightrope between getting pushed around by the troop and being pounced on by predators.

The results highlight how meaningful and nuanced the ring-tails’ social behaviour is. Studying the language of lemurs may give us clues as to how humans’ distant relatives may have interacted to keep their groups together.

Together, we protect wildlife

Many rainforest animals are threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and the illegal wildlife trade.

Visit our conservation pages for more information on projects that Mandai Nature supports, and to find out how you can get involved too.

The IUCN Status

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

Special experiences

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Rainforest Fights Back

Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre 12:00pm & 2:30pm
Singapore Zoo

This entertaining and engaging presentation features a diverse range of rainforest animals. Be awed as they show off their dexterity by jumping and flying above.

Find out how these animals’ lives have been affected by humans and why they do not necessarily make good pets. You may even get a chance to touch a snake and a slithery surprise awaits one lucky volunteer, who'll enjoy the photo opportunity of a lifetime!

Find out more

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Every visit to our parks comes with

Every visit to our parks comes with
Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

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