# Ring-Tailed Lemur (*Lemur catta*)

> The ring-tailed lemur is a primate found only on the island of Madagascar, instantly recognizable by its long black-and-white striped tail. It lives in female-led troops, spends more time on the ground than other lemurs, and loves to sunbathe. Wild ring-tailed lemurs usually live around 16 years.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Endangered
- **Range:** Southern and southwestern Madagascar, in dry forests, spiny scrub, and rocky canyons.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ring-tailed-lemur/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Primates
- **Family:** Lemuridae
- **Genus:** Lemur

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Lemur catta |
| Diet | Omnivore (fruit, leaves, flowers, insects) |
| Habitat | Forests and scrub of southern Madagascar |
| Lifespan | Around 16 years in the wild |
| Weight | 2.2 kg (5 lb) |
| Length | Around 95 cm (37 in) including the tail |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |

## The famous striped tail

The ring-tailed lemur's tail is longer than its body and marked with 13 alternating black and white bands. The tail is not used for gripping; instead it works as a flag that keeps the troop together as they move through forest and as a signal during disputes. It also stars in stink fights, when males rub scent onto their tails and waft it at rivals.

## Female-led troops

Ring-tailed lemurs live in troops of around 6 to 30 animals in which females are dominant — they get first choice of food and lead the group's movements, which is unusual among primates. Troops keep in touch with a wide range of calls, from soft purrs to loud alarm barks that warn of hawks and other predators.

## Sunbathing on the ground

Ring-tailed lemurs are the most terrestrial of all lemurs, spending much of the day foraging on the ground. On cool mornings they sit upright with arms outstretched and pale bellies turned to the sun, an unmistakable sunbathing pose that helps them warm up before the day's activity begins.

## Found only in Madagascar

Like all lemurs, the ring-tailed lemur lives nowhere else on Earth but Madagascar, where it occupies the dry forests, scrub, and rocky canyons of the island's south and southwest. Lemurs are a striking example of evolution in isolation, having diversified into around a hundred species after their ancestors reached the island millions of years ago.

## Conservation

The ring-tailed lemur is listed as Endangered, and wild numbers have fallen sharply. The main threats are habitat loss from logging, charcoal production, and farming, along with hunting and the illegal pet trade. Protected reserves and community-based conservation in Madagascar are essential to the species' future.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where do ring-tailed lemurs live?

Ring-tailed lemurs are found only in Madagascar, in the dry forests, scrub, and rocky canyons of the island's south and southwest. Like all lemurs, they exist nowhere else in the wild.

### Are lemurs monkeys?

No. Lemurs are primates, but they belong to a separate, more ancient group called prosimians, not the monkeys and apes. They evolved in isolation on Madagascar.

### What is a stink fight?

During disputes, male ring-tailed lemurs coat their long tails with smelly secretions from scent glands, then wave them at rivals — a contest of odor rather than force.

### What do ring-tailed lemurs eat?

They are omnivores, eating mostly fruit along with leaves, flowers, sap, and the occasional insect. The tamarind tree is an especially important food source.

### Are ring-tailed lemurs endangered?

Yes. The IUCN lists them as Endangered, mainly because of habitat loss, hunting, and the illegal pet trade across their small range in southern Madagascar.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Lemur catta.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Lemur%20catta&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Lemur catta. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lemur_catta/)
- [Wikipedia — Ring-Tailed Lemur.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-tailed_lemur)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ring-tailed-lemur/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.