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Mammal. Lemurs are primates but developed quite differently from monkeys and apes when Madagascar split from the African continent millions of years ago. Ring-tailed lemurs are unique from other lemurs in that they prefer walking on the ground to swinging through trees. Social and territorial animals, they live in groups of about 12 to 25. The females are in charge and get the best food. Although the adults have bright yellow eyes, their young have blue eyes. Lemurs are noisy, making 15 different kinds of sounds from purrs to clicks to grunts to howls. They also communicate using odor. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Lemur catta |
About 18 to 20 years |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. Prefers fruit. Also eats leaves, tree gum, flowers and, although mainly herbivorous, will sometimes eat insects. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Raptors like buzzards and hawks, and humans. All lemurs are vulnerable to habitat loss. |
| Habitat |
| Lemurs are unique to Madagascar, a large island southeast of Africa. Ring-tailed lemurs tend to live in more open, less forested areas than other lemurs. |
