Red-Fronted Brown Lemur

Eulemur rufifrons

A fruit-eating Madagascar lemur whose males and females are different colors, and one of the few lemurs not led by females.

🐒 Lemurs

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About the Red-Fronted Brown Lemur

Red-fronted brown lemurs live in both western and eastern Madagascar, in dry lowland forests in the west and moist tropical forests in the east. They have black faces, orange eyes and white patches above the eyes. Males are gray-brown with a reddish crown, and females are reddish-brown with a grayish crown. They eat mostly fruit, plus leaves, bark, flowers, sap and insects.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Eulemur rufifrons^[2]
Lifespan: 20 to 25 years in the wild.^[1]
Diet: Mostly fruit, plus leaves, bark, flowers, sap and insects.^[1]
Habitat: Dry lowland forests in the west and moist tropical forests in the east.^[1]
Where it lives: Western and eastern Madagascar.^[1]
Group life: Mixed groups of up to 18.^[1]
Babies: A single baby rides on its mother's belly, then her back.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2019).^[2]

Fun facts

Unlike most lemurs, this species isn't led by a dominant female.^[1]
"Lemur" comes from Latin for "ghost."^[1]
Males and females are different colors.^[1]

Vocabulary

lemur: A primate found in the wild only on Madagascar.
dichromatic: Having males and females of different colors.
seed dispersal: How seeds get carried to new places, like when an animal eats fruit and drops the seeds.
frugivore: An animal that eats mostly fruit.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · MammalsSee this animal 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] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Red-fronted Brown Lemur.” https://www.sfzoo.org/red-fronted-brown-lemur/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Eulemur rufifrons (Red-fronted Brown Lemur).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136269/115581600 (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.Mongoose LemurEulemur mongozA small, gray, critically endangered lemur of northwestern Madagascar and the Comoro Islands that can switch between day and night activity.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.

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