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Red ruffed lemur

Varecia rubra

Male red-ruffed lemur at Paignton Zoo
IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Primates
Family: Lemuridae

In Lemur Wood live our family of red ruffed lemurs: adults Iggy and Tack and their daughter Mena.

The small native range of red ruffed lemurs is the tropical forests of the Masoala Peninsula in northeastern Madagascar.

This primate is a herbivore, with a diet of fruit, pollen, seeds, flowers and leaves.

Interesting facts!

  • Red ruffed lemurs are one of the largest of the lemur species.
  • They have very loud alarm calls, which they use to warn other lemurs of any threat.
  • The furry black tail of this species helps to keep them balanced when jumping between trees. The tail can also be used to give visual signals.
  • After a gestation period of around 90 days, a female can give birth to up to six babies! Broods of two or three infants are more common.

Conservation

Red ruffed lemurs are Critically Endangered, partly due to their small population and native range. Deforestation for illegal logging continues to be a huge threat. The Masoala National Park was created in 1997 to help conserve the species, but some red ruffed lemurs live outside of the park’s boundaries and so are not protected.

Several zoos across Europe work together in caring for and breeding captive red ruffed lemurs. Our red ruffed lemurs are part of the EAZA ex-situ breeding programme (EEP) for the species.