Lemur catta, Linnaeus, 1758

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Lemuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 90-141 : 130-131

7.

Ring-tailed Lemur

Lemur catta

French: Lémur catta / German: Katta / Spanish: Lémur de cola anillada

Taxonomy. Lemur calla Linnaeus, 1758 ,

Madagascar.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. SW & S Madagascar, found as far N as Belo-sur-Tsiribihina along the W coast, as far E as near Tolagnaro (= Fort-Dauphin), and inland to the mountains of Andringitra on the SE plateau.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 39-46 cm, tail 56-63 cm; weight 2-2 kg. The Ringtailed Lemur is a relatively large and distinctive species. Its most notable feature is the long, bushy, black-tipped tail, ringed with black and white transverse bands along its entire length. The dorsal coatis light gray to rosy-brown along the back, gray along the flanks, limbs, and haunches, and darker gray on the crown and neck. The belly and extremities are white to cream, and the throat, cheeks, ears, and forehead are white. The muzzle is grayish, and the nose is black. Eyes of adults are a brilliant yellow to red and are framed by triangular black rings. The scrotum is naked. A small population inhabiting the high, relatively cool Andringitra Massifis considerably darker in color than those found elsewhere, with denser, woollier fur and fewer dark rings on the tail.

Habitat. Many forest types throughout its distribution including tropical dry scrub, Didiereaceae forest, brushlands ofspiny Euphorbia , Euphorbiaceae (provided water is nearby), and wet, deciduous, gallery, and montane humid forest.

Food and Feeding. The diet ofthe Ring-tailed Lemur is varied and consists offruits such as figs, young leaves, flowers, herbs, bark, fig thistles, and sap from close to three dozen different plant species. The kily tree ( Tamarindus indica, Fabaceae ) is particularly favored, withits fruit and leaves accounting for as much as 50% ofthe diet throughout the year where it is present. They also eat decayed wood, earth, insects, and small vertebrates such as lizards. When necessary, individuals can obtain all the water they require directly from their food. Ring-tailed Lemurs sometimes raid agricultural crops.

Breeding. The mating season of the Ring-tailed Lemur begins in mid-April. At this time, males compete viciously for females in so-called “jump fights,” in which they leap into the air, each opponent trying to slash the other with its upper canines and often inflicting significant wounds. Females typically have multiple mates and may be in estrus several times, some as late as the middle of August. As in higher primates, a female advertises her sexual condition with a marked swelling of her genitals. Males guard their mates after copulating. Usually one young is born (sometimes two and rarely three) in late August or September, after gestation of 138-141 days. Infants have blue eyes that gradually turn to yellowish by early adulthood. Young are precocious and are only carried ventrally for the first week or two; afterwards they transfer to the backs of their mothers and other group members. All adult females in the group help in raising the offspring and will frequently exchange their babies. Adult males occasionally participate in infant care. Cases of infanticide have been observed, and infant mortality is generally high. At Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve, a large percentage of infants dies in their first year, and only ¢.40% reach maturity. Young are weaned at three months and are completely independent at six months. Sexual maturity usually occurs at c.18 months, although it may take up to two and a half years before a male is strong enough to conquer a female. Females first give birth at about three years old; most produce offspring annually thereafter. At Berenty Reserve, a female reached 20 years of age, and captive individuals have been known to live up to 33 years.

Activity patterns. The Ring-tailed Lemur was once considered to be diurnal, but a recent study has shown that in some locations it is actually cathemeral. They show considerable flexibility in their activity cycle, varying with season, location, and habitat. Activity seems to be triggered by photoperiod and masked by nocturnal illumination. Peak periods of activity occur during morning and evening twilight and in the middle of the night. Ring-tailed Lemurs are semi-terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Ring-tailed Lemur is the most intensively studied of all lemurs. It lives in multimale-multifemale groups usually numbering 6-24 individuals, although groups of more than 30 individuals are reported on occasion. Home range size is 6-23 ha, and groups have been recorded maintaining the same home ranges for more than three decades. Females are dominant over males and remain in their natal groups. Females without relatives spend more time alone. Non-linear hierarchies between individuals exist in smaller groups of ten or less. Competition among females of different groups is high; the most aggressive individuals typically face off against each other and engage in threatening behaviors, but rarely inflict any physical damage. Within the group, however, female competition for dominance can result in serious wounds, expulsion of inferior members, and the possibility of eviction and home range takeover. There is a dominance hierarchy among males, but this does not seem important during the mating season because even low-ranking males are able to copulate. Males become sexually mature at about three years ofage, and some emigrate at this time. Ring-tailed Lemurs spend much of their time grooming their own fur with claws on their hindfeet; social grooming also is an important activity. Densities vary greatly by habitat type, with highs of 100 ind/km? in the dry forests of the Beza-Mahafaly Special Reserve and 250-600 ind/km? in the gallery and secondary forests of the Berenty Reserve.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. However, at the IUCN/SSC Lemur Red-Listing Workshop held in July 2012, L. catta was assessed as endangered due to an estimated and projected past and ongoing population decline of more than 50% in three generations. The Ring-tailed Lemur has a strong preference for gallery forests, which are very limited in southern Madagascar, and spiny forest. Although relatively widespread, they are unable to adapt to the conversion of their habitat to farms and plantations (particularly corn and Eucalyptus ). Subsequent overgrazing by livestock and felling of trees for charcoal production further impact wild populations of the Ring-tailed Lemur , although fortunately many of the best remaining forest patches within its distribution, and where it occurs in the highest densities, are on sacred lands. Ring-tailed Lemurs are also hunted for food in certain areas and frequently kept as pets. It occurs in at least five national parks (Andohahela, Andringitra, Isalo, Tsimanampetsotsa, and Zombitse-Vohibasia ), three special reserves (Beza-Mahafaly, Kalambatritra, and Pic d’Ivohibe), private reserves of Ambosary and Berenty, and Anja Community Reserve. It also occurs at low densities in Kirindy-Mitea National Park (but not in the Kirindy Forest, where the German Primate Center has its field research base). It also has been reported from the unprotected forests of Ankoba, Ankodida, Anjatsikolo, Ambatotsirongorongo, Bealoka, Berenty, Mahazoarivo, Masiabiby, and Mikea. The historical northern limit of its distribution extended all the way up to the Morondava River. It is very patchily distributed throughout this large area.

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Figures

0. Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus), 1. Gray Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur griseus), 2. Southern Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur meridionalis), 3. Northern Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur occidentalis), 4. Lac Alaotra Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis), 5. Golden Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur aureus)

Distribution. SW & S Madagascar, found as far N as Belo-sur-Tsiribihina along the W coast, as far E as near Tolagnaro (= Fort-Dauphin), and inland to the mountains of Andringitra on the SE plateau.