Range:

Southern end of the island of Madagascar.

Habitat:

Scrub, spiny desert, dry and gallery forest.

Characteristics:

Ringtails get their name from their conspicious black and white banded tail. They have gray to brown back, white underparts, a white face with dark brown triangular eye patch, and white ears.

 

Behavior:

They are diurnal (active during the day) and arboreal (live in trees). However, ringtails are more terrestrial than any of the other lemurs. Females are extremely dominant and win all disputes with males. Males have 'stink fights' in which they face each other and wave their tails, which have been rubbed on their strong smelling wrist glands. Different calls are made to define territorial boundaries, sound alarms, warn of aerial predators and terrestrial predators.

Reproduction:

Sexual maturity is reached at 21-30 months. Mating season is mid-April. After a gestation of 134-138 days one (occasionally two) offspring is born. Infants are carried ventrally for the first 2 weeks, and then later on the back.