Zagreb Zoo

Names of our animals: Charly, Tobby, Pipo, Maggy, Lilly

Classification
Class: mammals (Mammalia)
Order: primates (Primates)
Family: lemurs (Lemuridae)

Description
Body length: 50 - 55 cm; tail length:  60 – 65 cm; weight: 3 – 4.5 kg.

Geographic range
Eastern part of Madagascar.

Habitat
Rainforests.

Diet
In the wild: fruit, leaves, seeds, nectar.
In captivity: fruit, vegetables, pellets for leaf eating primates.

Reproduction
After the gestation period of 90 – 102 days, the female gives birth to 2 – 6 young, which weigh about 100 grams at birth. The female uses her own fur if necessary to build a nest. She spends the first several days with her newborns keeping them warm and feeding them, and licks them after every meal. She carries her young in the mouth when moving them, and leaves them in a safe place when she goes searching for food. At 24 days old the young eat their first solid food, and at 2 months old their life is all play in which the father often also participates. When they reach 5 months, the young can already climb to the top of highest trees.

Behaviour
They are active during the day, unlike most other lemur species, but are most active in the morning and late in the afternoon. Most of their time is spent foraging for food within their territory, and the rest of the time they are resting in tree branches. In the early morning hours they can often be found sunning with legs all stretched out. Black-and-white ruffed lemurs live in groups of 2 -5 individuals. The group consists of one or more pairs and their offspring, and lives in a particular territory that individuals mark with scent – urine or rubbing their behinds on the trees. They communicate through body language, facial expressions, touch and vocalization.

Predators
Fossa.

Life span
In the wild: 19 years.
In captivity: 32 years.

Conservation Status
Recently classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Their population was reduced by 80% in the last 30 years! The main reason is habitat loss, deforestation, expansion of agricultural areas, and mining. In some parts of Madagascar the meat of this lemur is very valued.
IUCN category: CR (critically endangered).

Interesting facts
►These lemurs have an important role in forest ecology – by feeding on nectar they help pollinate the forests. When they put their muzzle into the flower, it remains covered with pollen which they transfer to another flower. Also, by feeding on fruits, they carry the seeds across larger distances and that way help expand the forests.

Links
Duke Lemur Center
ARKive - Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur videos and photos

Adopted by:
OŠ Cvjetno naselje, 2.b razred (2009/2010)
OŠ Cvjetno naselje, 8.b razred (2009/2010)