Ring-tailed lemurs are only found on the island of Madagascar. They have a distinctive, long black and white striped tail, grey fur with a white underbelly and a white face with black patches around the eyes. They have large thumbs on their hind feet, making them excellent climbers and swift movers in the trees.
They mostly eat vegetation, flowers, fruits, nectar and will occasionally snack on insects. They have comb-like bottom teeth which they use for grooming themselves and each other during social interactions. A group of lemurs is called a ‘conspiracy’, and groups are led by a dominant female. They are called ‘sun-worshippers’ as they love to bask in the sun, sitting upright with arms outstretched to warm themselves. Ring-tailed lemurs are classed as “endangered” on the IUCN red list due to their population declining as they are threatened with habitat loss, the illegal pet trade and hunting.
