Red Ruffed Lemur
Encyclopedia
The red ruffed lemur is one of two species in the genus Varecia, the ruffed lemur
Ruffed lemur
The ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar...

s; the other is the black-and-white ruffed lemur
Black-and-white ruffed lemur
The black-and-white ruffed lemur is the more endangered of the two species of ruffed lemurs, both of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Despite having a larger range than the red ruffed lemur, it has a much smaller population that is spread out, living in lower population densities...

 (Varecia variegata). Like all lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...

s, it is native to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 and occurs only in the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

s of Masoala
Masoala National Park
Masoala National Park, in northeast Madagascar, is the largest of the island's protected areas. Most of the park is situated in Sava Region and a part in Analanjirofo. Created in 1997, the park protects 2,300 square kilometres of rainforest and 100 square kilometres of marine parks. The Masoala...

, in the northeast of the island. It is one of the largest primates of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 with a body length of 53 cm, a tail length of 60 cm and a weight of 3.5–4 kg. Its soft, thick fur is red and black in colour but a few are known to have a white or pink patch on the back of the neck and a ring on the base of the tail in a similar color.

There is also another species of ruffed lemur that is similar to the red ruffed lemur; the black-and-white ruffed lemur. They both live in the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

 along the east coast of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

, but they do not associate with each other.

Physical characteristics

The red ruffed lemur weighs 3.5–4 kg. It is about 53 cm long, with a 60 cm tail. Females are slightly larger than males.

As its name would suggest, it has a rust-coloured ruff and body. Its head, stomach, tail, feet, and the insides of its legs are black. It has a white patch on the back of its neck, and may also have white markings on its feet or mouth.

Behavior

The red ruffed lemur is a very clean animal and spends a lot of time grooming itself and each other
Social grooming
In social animals, including humans, social grooming or allogrooming is an activity in which individuals in a group clean or maintain one another's body or appearance. It is a major social activity, and a means by which animals who live in proximity can bond and reinforce social structures, family...

. The lower incisors (front teeth) and the claw on the second toe of the hind foot are specially adapted for this behavior. The lower incisors grow forward in line with each other and are slightly spaced. This creates a toothcomb
Toothcomb
A toothcomb is an anatomical structure found in strepsirrhine primates, which includes lemurs, lorises and galagos. A toothcomb consists of long, flat forward-angled teeth, and includes the lower incisors and the canine teeth...

 which can be used to groom its long, soft fur. The claw is also used for grooming.

The red ruffed lemur lives 15–20 years in the wild. In captivity, 25 years is not uncommon, and one lived to be about 33 years old. It is a diurnal animal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...

, and most active in the morning and evening.

Social systems

This prosimian
Prosimian
Prosimians are a grouping of mammals defined as being primates, but not monkeys or apes. They include, among others, lemurs, bushbabies, and tarsiers. They are considered to have characteristics that are more primitive than those of monkeys and apes. Prosimians are the only primates native to...

 typically lives in small, matriarchal groups of 2-16 individuals, but group sizes of up to 32 have been recorded. Its diet consists primarily of fruit, nectar, and pollen. Leaves and seeds may be eaten when fruit becomes scarce.

Breeding and reproduction

Unlike all other diurnal primates, females build nests 10–20 meters above the forest floor, made with twigs, leaves, vines, and fur. Like all lemurs, and many Madagascan mammals, it has a fixed breeding season which takes place towards the end of the dry season (May to July). This is so the young can be born in the wet season when more food is available. Ruffed lemurs are also the only primates with litters of young, and, after a gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....

 period of 102 days, the female may give birth to up to six, although two or three is more typical. Newborns have fur and can see, but as they are immobile, the female leaves them in the nest until they are seven weeks old. Weaning
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...

 occurs at four months. It is estimated that 65% of young do not reach three months of age, and often die by falling from the trees.

Diet

The red ruffed lemur is mainly a fruit-eater
Frugivore
A frugivore is a fruit eater. It can be any type of herbivore or omnivore where fruit is a preferred food type. Because approximately 20% of all mammalian herbivores also eat fruit, frugivory is considered to be common among mammals. Since frugivores eat a lot of fruit they are highly dependent...

, though it is known to eat leaves and shoots. They especially like figs.

Communication

The Duke Lemur Center
Duke Lemur Center
The Duke Lemur Center is an sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates, located at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is the largest sanctuary for prosimian primates in the world....

 has recorded about twelve different calls. The red ruffed lemur and Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur understand each other's calls, despite living in different parts of Madagascar. Scent marking is also an important means of communication.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...

 considers the red ruffed lemur to be endangered, listing habitat loss, hunting, and the pet trade as primary threats. The creation of the Masoala National Park in 1997 has helped protect this species, but many red ruffed lemurs do not live within the park's boundaries, and are still at high risk.

The exact status of the red ruffed lemur in the wild is not fully known, but recent studies show that they are endangered with a declining wild population. At present, there are over 200 ruffed lemurs in 42 different zoos worldwide. Several of these zoos work with each other in breeding
Breeding program
Breeding programs help animals to breed and can be good for animals as well as the agricultural economy.A breeding program is the planned breeding of a group of animals or plants, usually involving at least several individuals and extending over several generations...

and caring for the captive population. To prevent inbreeding, wild caught animals have been introduced to the captive breeding program.

External links

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