Mongoose Lemur

Eulemur mongoz

A small, gray, critically endangered lemur of northwestern Madagascar and the Comoro Islands that can switch between day and night activity.

🐒 Lemurs

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Mongoose Lemur

Mongoose lemurs live in dry forests of northwestern Madagascar and in humid forests on the Comoro Islands of Mohéli and Anjouan. They weigh 4 to 7 pounds, with a body about 14 inches long and a bushy tail about 19 inches long. Males are gray with red cheeks and beards, and females are darker gray with white cheeks. They eat flowers, pollen, fruit and leaves.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Eulemur mongoz^[1]
Size: Body about 14 inches; tail about 19 inches.^[1]
Weight: 4 to 7 pounds.^[1]
Diet: Flowers, pollen, fruit and leaves.^[1]
Habitat: Dry forests in Madagascar; humid forests on the Comoro Islands.^[1]
Where it lives: Northwestern Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.^[1]
Group life: Families of 3 or 4. Females usually dominant.^[1]
Babies: Usually one baby a year; twins are not rare.^[1]
Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

Mongoose lemurs switch between night and day activity with the seasons.^[1]
Male babies are born with white beards that turn red.^[1]
Only about 100 mongoose lemurs live in zoos worldwide.^[1]

Vocabulary

lemur: A primate found in the wild only on Madagascar.
dichromatic: Having males and females of different colors.
nocturnal: Active mainly at night.
pollen: A fine powder made by flowers.
critically endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Hubbard Expedition MadagascarSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan. “Mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eulemur_mongoz/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Eulemur mongoz (Mongoose Lemur).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8202/115561431 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Lemurs

Aye-AyeDaubentonia madagascariensisA strange-looking nocturnal lemur that taps on trees with a long, thin middle finger to find grubs inside.Black-and-White Ruffed LemurVarecia variegataThe largest lemur, a critically endangered fruit-eater of eastern Madagascar's rainforests that raises its babies in nests.Blue-Eyed Black LemurEulemur flavifronsOne of the world's most threatened primates, a blue-eyed Madagascar lemur whose males are black and females are orange.

Coquerel's SifakaPropithecus coquereliA white-and-brown lemur of northwestern Madagascar that leaps between trees and hops sideways on the ground.Crowned LemurEulemur coronatusA small, fruit-eating lemur of northern Madagascar whose males and females look so different they were once easy to tell apart at a glance.Gray Mouse LemurMicrocebus murinusOne of the smallest primates in the world, a tiny, big-eyed lemur that weighs about two ounces.Red Ruffed LemurVarecia rubraA critically endangered orange-red lemur with a black face and a thick neck ruff, found only on Madagascar's Masoala Peninsula.Red-Fronted Brown LemurEulemur rufifronsA fruit-eating Madagascar lemur whose males and females are different colors, and one of the few lemurs not led by females.

Ring-Tailed LemurLemur cattaAn endangered primate of southwestern Madagascar with a black-and-white striped tail, female-led troops and a love of sunbathing.