Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs
Expert tree climbers who pollinate the forest
Black-and-white ruffed lemurs are known for their agility and speed as they move through the forest, using their long tails solely for balance – unlike some of their primate cousins who use their tails to hang. As pollinators, they use their hands to access a flower’s nectar, spreading pollen around the forest when it sticks to their fur. Fruit is a staple of their diet, and they are particularly skilled at hanging from their feet to reach it, a suspensory movement which they exhibit more than any other lemur species.
- IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (at extremely high risk of extinction in the wild)
- Type: Mammal
- Habitat: Forests of Madagascar
- Diet: Herbivore – leaves, flowers, and fruits
- Size: 50 to 55 centimetres; 60- to 66-centimetre-long tail
- Weight: 2.9 to 4.5 kilograms
Facts about our animals
Fun Facts about Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs
Males and females are not sexually dimorphic – they look the same.
They have long tongues to help them reach the nectar in a flower.
Lemur mothers carry their young in their mouths.
A lemur pup becomes independent at approximately four months old.
Black-and-white ruffed lemurs are diurnal, primarily active during the day.
They build nests of leaves and twigs high up in trees.
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