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