RINGED TAIL LEMUR
DietThe Ring Tailed Lemur eats a wide variety of things including fruit, leaves, flowers, bark and sap, as well as large insects and even small vertebrates such as a chameleon. Lemurs have also been known to eat soil to increase their sodium (salt) levels. Their diet gives them a lot of energy because the diet is so diverse. They are omnivores.
Body CoveringThe Ring tailed Lemur is covered in fur because it is a mammal. The lemur has a long fluffy tail that acts as a another arm for them and is used to swing from vines in the wild. The actual fur colour is a dark grey on their back and is a light grey on their underside.The tail is white with black rings (hence the name). To keep this fur clean, other lemurs will pick fleas, bugs and dirt out of the coat. Doing this also shows the bond between each lemur in their 'pack'
SocialisingLemurs are one of the most social animals in the animal kingdom. They socialise by howling and by smearing their scents on trees and particular places to mark that tree or place is now their territory. The howl of a lemur can reach over 1km away and can mean several different thing. The howl becomes higher when they are being fed. The glands that emit the scent are located on their wrists. When lemurs have a 'stink fight', they wipe their scent onto their tails and the wind scatters the scent.
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Scientific Name
The Ring Tailed Lemur's scientific name is Lemur catta
The EnclosureThe ring tailed lemurs enclosure is a large space with many trees and play equipment to climb on. These item are included in this enclosure because the lemurs are really energetic and need to remain entertained all the time. There is a large Baobab tree in the center of the enclosure. There is a waterfall located on the side of the enclosure because it can be used as a source of water and it also creates a more humid and tropical environment (replicating the Madagascan environment). On the floor, there is a tanned orange coloured dirt and a concrete path way. The path way is for people who go inside the enclosure to have the lemur encounter, and the dirt is there to replicate the Madagascan environment. There are a lot of shrubs the cover the edges of the enclosure, but there are grassed areas that are softer on the lemurs feet. In the jungle gym, there are small holes where tropical fruits such as pineapple and passion fruit are smothered in honey are hidden, so the lemurs can forage for their own food. There are long thick ropes that create a spiderweb. this is so the lemurs can swing from the higher distances, like they would in the wild. There is a moat surrounding the front of the enclosure and splitting up the Lemur forest from the play equipment, and the top of the enclosure fans inwards. This is because Lemurs are expert climbers and could escape their enclosure if these barriers were not in place.
Body SizeThe average adult Lemur belongs to the small- medium range when it comes to size. Including iots long tail, the lemur should reach around 80cm long and 50cm tall
NatureThe Lemur has a cheeky nature and needs to be entertained constantly because they are so lively and energetic. This cheekiness might have something to do with their diets and how diverse it is, or just how they have so much freedom in the environment and can burn the energy by swinging on vines and participating in physical activities.
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Natural Habitat
The Ring Tailed Lemur lives in the remote island of Madagascar. Most of the island is covered in forest, making the place perfect for lemurs to inhabit