Ring-Tailed Lemur

Lemur catta

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

🐒 Lemurs

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About the Ring-Tailed Lemur

Ring-tailed lemurs live in dry, open areas and forests of southwestern Madagascar. They live in troops of 3 to 25, and females are in charge: they get first pick of food. Lemurs spend about 40 percent of their time on the ground. They sunbathe with their bellies toward the sun in a pose some people call the "yoga position." They eat leaves, flowers and insects, plus fruit and herbs.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Lemur catta^[1]
Size: Tail up to 2 feet (61 cm) long, with 13 black and white bands.^[1]
Weight: Adult males average about 6 pounds (3 kg).^[1]
Lifespan: About 16 years.^[1]
Diet: Leaves, flowers and insects, plus fruit, herbs and small vertebrates.^[1]
Habitat: Dry, open areas and forests.^[1]
Where it lives: Southwestern Madagascar.^[1]
Group life: Troops of 3 to 25. Females are dominant.^[1]
Babies: Pregnancy lasts about 4.5 months. Babies cling to the mother's belly, then ride on her back.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[3]

Fun facts

A ring-tailed lemur's tail has 13 alternating black and white bands.^[1]
Male ring-tailed lemurs have "stink fights," waving tails rubbed with scent at each other.^[2]
Lemurs sunbathe in a "yoga position" with their bellies toward the sun.^[1]
In a ring-tailed lemur troop, the females are in charge.^[1]

Vocabulary

troop: A group of lemurs, monkeys or other primates that live together.
dominant: In charge, or having first choice of food and mates.
scent gland: A spot on the body that gives off a smell animals use to communicate.
Madagascar: A large island off the southeast coast of Africa.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · South AmericaSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · MammalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Hubbard Expedition MadagascarSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
Oakland ZooOakland, California · Children's ZooSee 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] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Ring-tailed lemur.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/ring-tailed-lemur (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Lemur.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/lemur (accessed 2026-10-02)
[3] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Lemur catta (Ring-tailed Lemur).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11496/115565760 (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.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.