Ring-Tailed Ring-Tailed LemursLemurs

By:MorganBy:Morgan

IntroductionIntroduction

Its tail is long, striped with black Its tail is long, striped with black and white. You can find it and white. You can find it Madagascar. What is it?Madagascar. What is it?

DescriptionDescription

A ring-tailed lemur weighs 13 A ring-tailed lemur weighs 13 pounds, 2 ounces. It has a body of pounds, 2 ounces. It has a body of 16 inches and a tail of 23 inches 16 inches and a tail of 23 inches long. They have red eyes, a black long. They have red eyes, a black and white striped tail, a brown body, and white striped tail, a brown body, and a white face. They also have a and a white face. They also have a nose like a rat and ears like a bat, nose like a rat and ears like a bat, and they look like a house cat.and they look like a house cat.

Life SpanLife Span

Ring tailed lemurs can live up to 40 Ring tailed lemurs can live up to 40 years in captivity. It is better to be years in captivity. It is better to be young in the group because young in the group because everyone cares for you. Females everyone cares for you. Females live as long as males.live as long as males.

Predator/PreyPredator/Prey Lemurs have been taken into captivity to protect Lemurs have been taken into captivity to protect

them from the threats of their habitat being them from the threats of their habitat being destroyed by logging, farming, and housing for destroyed by logging, farming, and housing for humans. Cats and birds of prey are enemies of ring-humans. Cats and birds of prey are enemies of ring-tailed lemurs. To escape, they run away or hide.tailed lemurs. To escape, they run away or hide.

The ring-tailed lemur eats fruit, flowers, leaves, The ring-tailed lemur eats fruit, flowers, leaves, bark, insects, and tree gum. Lemurs bite a hole in bark, insects, and tree gum. Lemurs bite a hole in the bark with their sharp teeth to get to insects. the bark with their sharp teeth to get to insects. They use their nails to pull the insects from the They use their nails to pull the insects from the trees to eat. Lemurs quench their thirst with juicy trees to eat. Lemurs quench their thirst with juicy fruits and chew them with their back teeth so juice fruits and chew them with their back teeth so juice does not get on their fur.does not get on their fur.

ProtectionProtection

Male lemurs rub their tail against Male lemurs rub their tail against scent glands in their wrists. And scent glands in their wrists. And then they wave their tail in the then they wave their tail in the direction of an enemy. Males call direction of an enemy. Males call loud signals to warn sick, young, loud signals to warn sick, young, old or injured members of their old or injured members of their group. Some of these signals are group. Some of these signals are similar to barking.similar to barking.

YoungYoung Usually, lemurs have one young, but Usually, lemurs have one young, but

sometimes 2-3 are born. A ring-tailed lemur sometimes 2-3 are born. A ring-tailed lemur will be pregnant for 5 months and will have will be pregnant for 5 months and will have 1-3 babies. She will not mate until late April 1-3 babies. She will not mate until late April or May, and will not have another baby for a or May, and will not have another baby for a year. We call their babies young or offspring.year. We call their babies young or offspring.

After a young is born, it clings to its After a young is born, it clings to its mother’s underside. A young can take off at mother’s underside. A young can take off at about 3 weeks but stays close to mother until about 3 weeks but stays close to mother until about 6 months. They take care of their about 6 months. They take care of their young for about 6 months.young for about 6 months.

EnvironmentEnvironment

A ring-tailed lemur needs a A ring-tailed lemur needs a rainforest to live in. You can find rainforest to live in. You can find the ring-tailed lemur in the ring-tailed lemur in Madagascar.Madagascar.

BehaviorBehavior

Ring-tailed lemurs like to sun Ring-tailed lemurs like to sun themselves. They move as easy on themselves. They move as easy on the ground as they do jumping from the ground as they do jumping from tree to tree. They can jump as far as tree to tree. They can jump as far as 30 feet! Lemurs like to spend a 30 feet! Lemurs like to spend a couple hours sunbathing during the couple hours sunbathing during the day. Lemurs are more active during day. Lemurs are more active during the day, but less active during the the day, but less active during the night.night.

EndangeredEndangered

We built a park in 1991 for lemurs, We built a park in 1991 for lemurs, to hopefully save lemurs. My to hopefully save lemurs. My animal is endangered because a animal is endangered because a lot of Madagascar’s forest area is lot of Madagascar’s forest area is destroyed.destroyed.

Other Interesting FactsOther Interesting Facts

Did you know the ring-tailed lemur is Did you know the ring-tailed lemur is more related to you than they are more related to you than they are to raccoons? Did you know that to raccoons? Did you know that lemurs are related to monkeys and lemurs are related to monkeys and apes? 36 kinds of lemurs are apes? 36 kinds of lemurs are endangered. 14 others are extinct.endangered. 14 others are extinct.

ConclusionConclusion

I chose this animal because they I chose this animal because they looked interesting. I have learned looked interesting. I have learned that lemurs are more related to us that lemurs are more related to us than they are to raccoons. Ring-than they are to raccoons. Ring-tailed lemur’s habitat is being tailed lemur’s habitat is being destroyed for farming. To save the destroyed for farming. To save the lemur, we can stop destroying lemur, we can stop destroying their rainforest.their rainforest.

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