Famous for their lengthy tails, the ring-tailed lemur is a primate found exclusively on the island of Madagascar. Like other lemur species, the ring-tailed lemur is female dominant, meaning that their social groups are controlled by a hierarchy of females.
History:
Although it is one of the most common lemur species found in zoos, the ring-tailed lemur’s population in the wild is severely threatened. It is considered an endangered species, and has suffered dramatically from habitat destruction. Despite being a protected species, the ring-tailed lemur’s relatively small range of suitable environments makes it uniquely susceptible to fragmentation and habitat loss. Thankfully, ring-tailed lemurs reproduce readily, and experts believe that if wild numbers were to fall to critical levels, these beautiful animals could be reintroduced into the wild from captivity.