Michigan City Parks & Recreation Department

Scientific name: Lemur catta

Size/height/weight
Height: 15 - 18"
Tail Length: 22 - 25"
Weight: 5 - 7.5 lbs.

Behavior
diurnal
Group: 15-30
Family: social
Females: dominant
Scent Glands: smear tails with secretions & wave at opponents during ritual fights (male only)
Territory: well-defined • don't overlap
Travel: on ground (unusual for lemurs)

Reproduction/lifespan
Lifespan: max 18 yrs
Maturity: male 18 months • female 30 months
Gestation: 135 days
Birth: 1 • twins unusual • independent at 6 months

Diet
Wild: flowers, fruit & leaves
Zoo: Monkey Chow, fruit & vegetables

Habitat/range: Deciduous forest • scrubby areas • unique to Madagascar (endemic) • evolved when Madagascar separated from Africa leaving few competitors/predators • different from other African primates

Status
U.S. Endangered • CITES App I • due to habitat destruction • SSP

Other
Lemur means "ghost" in native language of Madagascar • lemurs are prosimians (primitive primate)

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