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Ring-tailed lemur
Ring-tailed lelemur
Lemurs are the oldest group of living primates in the world.
There are over 100 lemur species in total, and they are found naturally only on the island of Madagascar. They inhabit forested areas and spend much of their time in trees. Ring-tailed lemurs, however, also spend a significant amount of time on the ground, which is unusual among lemur species.
Because lemurs climb trees extensively, they have hands and feet well-suited for gripping. Ring-tailed lemurs are active during the day, unlike many other lemur species, which are more active at night. During the night, ring-tailed lemurs rest in selected sleeping trees.
Flock
Ring-tailed lemurs are social animals that live in groups of 5–25 individuals. In these groups, females are dominant and have priority access to food and water when resources are scarce. Each group is led by one or more dominant adult female, who, together with the other females, take responsibility for the group. Younger and newly arrived males typically hold lower ranks in the hierarchy.
Mutual grooming plays an important role in lemur groups, where they often sit together and groom one another. Lemurs have a claw-like nail on the second toe of their hind feet, known as a grooming claw, which they use to maintain their fur. Additionally, they use their tooth comb—a cluster of tightly packed, slightly forward-tilting lower incisors—for grooming.
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Ringtailed-lemur in Tangen Dyrepark
At Tangen Zoo, we have six ring-tailed lemurs. They came from Kristiansand Zoo and now have their permanent home here in our zoo. Each of them has a unique personality, which is a lot of fun to get to know.
When we got the lemurs from Kristiansand, only one lemur had been given a name, this was Ronja. The others got names after they came to us. And here we have to admit that we have been inspired by Harry Potter, because the last lemurs are named Luna, Ginny, Draco, Bellatrix, Langballe.
Did you know?
Sunbathing
​Lemurs love sunbathing. When the sun is shining, they sit with their arms and legs spread wide, their bellies facing the sun.
Stripes on the tail
​Ring-tailed lemurs have 13 white and 13 black stripes on their tails.
Latin
​In Latin, the word lemur means ghost. The name originates from their glowing eyes in the dark, which led people to believe they were spirits or apparitions of ancestors.
Status: Endangered
Last assessed: May 9, 2018
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The main threats to lemurs are habitat loss, drought, and being hunted or captured as pets. Since lemurs are found exclusively on Madagascar, they are especially vulnerable to deforestation in the region. Additionally, climate change poses a serious threat through rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events.