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Federal restrictions apply In-depth sheet

Ring-tailed lemur

Lemur catta

Mammals › Monkeys, lemurs and apes (Primates) › Lemuridae (Lemurs)

Ring-tailed lemurs live in female-dominated troops of 15–20 and can live about 30 years. They're endangered and need social groups and expert care.

Pet trade

Experience: Expert / facility

Ring-tailed lemur — Photo: Alex Dunkel (Maky), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Alex Dunkel (Maky), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Weightabout 4.9 lb

Lifespanabout 30 years

ActiveDay

SocialTroops of 15–20

Warnings

Federal legal status: Federal restrictions apply. See the federal legal snapshot and check your state rules before getting one.

Care guide

Behavior

Females dominate males; scent marking and "stink battles"; sunbathe in the morning.

Sources 75

Diet

Omnivores: fruit, leaves, insects; tamarind is a key wild food.

Sources 75

Show the group care guide for lemurs

Group care guide

Lemurs

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Madagascar forests. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

All lemurs are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Housing & setup

Large, enriched indoor-outdoor enclosures with social groups.

Sources 75 135 302

Diet

For herbivorous lemurs, use an appropriately formulated high-fibre plan with browse and vegetables; the veterinary manual discusses fruit-free diets because cultivated fruit can promote excessive sugar intake.

Sources 75 135 302

Health watch

Diabetes and obesity on sugary fruit diets.

Sources 75 135 302

Understanding the animal

In the wild

Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Southern and southwestern Madagascar, in riverine gallery forest, dry deciduous forest and thorn scrub. Uses canopy and ground while traveling and feeding.
Ground it lives on	forest-floor soil and leaf litter as well as trees and rocky scrub
Active	Diurnal, traveling and feeding from near dawn until dusk.
Social life	Multi-male, multi-female troops; females dominate males and troops defend resources.
Wild diet	Fruit and leaves, especially tamarind; also flowers, stems, plant exudates and occasional invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Behavior to plan for	Climbs and leaps but also travels extensively on the ground. Scent marking, grooming and tail displays organize social interactions.

What this means for care

Provide ground-level travel space and interconnected climbing routes.
Manage compatible troops with multiple feeding sites and escape routes.
Include leafy browse and foraging rather than relying on sweet fruit.

Animal Diversity Web: Lemur catta

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

The provided source describes the ring-tailed lemur as an island endemic restricted to southern and southwestern Madagascar and documents its use of several forest and scrub habitats.

Keeper tips

Provide elevated climbing routes at multiple heights.
Use branching or other structures that allow the feet to grasp securely.
Include substantial vertical space rather than designing only around floor area.

Behaviors reported

Climbs through the mid and upper canopy.
Occupies several different forest types but is most commonly found in continuous-canopy forest.

Unique adaptations

The first toe of the hind foot is opposable and is used during climbing.
Thick, dense fur covers the body.
The species tolerates a very broad reported temperature range.

Remarkable facts

Ring-tailed lemurs are endemic to southern and southwestern Madagascar.
They occur at elevations up to 2,600 m.
Adults have a body length of about 39-46 cm and a tail about 56-63 cm long.
Average body mass is reported as about 2.2 kg.
The tail has strongly defined black-and-white rings.
Continuous-canopy forests in their range include trees reaching about 20-25 m tall.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs, it is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is endangered. Known locally in Malagasy as maky (, spelled maki in French) or hira, it ranges from gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Ring-tailed lemurs are found in three distinct habitats in south and southwestern Madagascar: continuous canopy forest, brush and scrub forests, and mixed forests. — Animal Diversity Web
Social life and communication	Ring-tailed lemur communication is complex. — Animal Diversity Web
Wild diet	Ring-tailed lemurs are opportunistic omnivores. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups of 15 to 20 individuals called troops. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	Ring-tailed lemurs begin mating in April, with a gestation period of 130 to 144 days, giving birth beginning in August and finishing in September. — Animal Diversity Web
Lifespan	Ring-tailed lemurs typically live to be 16 years old, with the oldest known ring-tailed lemur living to be 33 years old in captivity. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Ring-tailed lemurs have a body length ranging from 39 to 46 cm in length with a tail ranging in length from 56 to 63cm and an average body weight of 2.2 kg. — Animal Diversity Web
History and naming	Although the term "lemur" was first intended for slender lorises, it was soon limited to the endemic Malagasy primates, which have been known as "lemurs" ever since. The name derives from the Latin term lemures, which refers to specters or ghosts that were exorcised during the Lemuria festival of ancient Rome. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

Researched care notes

Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.

Ring-Tailed Lemur (species)

The four-taxon study included ring-tailed lemurs and reported reduced aggression and self-directed behaviour after a lower-sugar, higher-fibre fruit-free diet change. Study finding.¹
The veterinary reference explains that cultivated fruit differs nutritionally from wild primate foods.²

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Lifespan in care (typical to oldest known)

Reported16–33years

Animal Diversity Web 7516–33

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported37.3years

AnAge 16237.3

Myhrvold et al. 16337.3

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources5.6lb

AnAge 1625.6

Myhrvold et al. 1635.6

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Litter size

Average of sources1.1young

AnAge 1621.1

Myhrvold et al. 1631.1

Average per litter or clutch.

Gestation

Average of sources135days

AnAge 162135

Myhrvold et al. 163135

Female maturity

Average of sources20.8months

AnAge 16219.5

Myhrvold et al. 16322.1

Veterinary & husbandry research

Toxoplasmosis in Captive Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) Rocchigiani G et al., Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) 2022
Species-specific transmission of novel picornaviruses in lemurs Lim ES et al., Journal of virology 2015
Enriched sleep environments lengthen lemur sleep duration Vining AQ et al., PloS one 2021
THORACIC RADIOGRAPHY AND TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN CLINICALLY HEALTHY RING-TAILED LEMURS (LEMUR CATTA) Houdellier B et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2020

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 127 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Federal restrictions apply

Endangered Species Act: endangered. Selling or shipping across state lines in the course of commercial activity, importing and exporting all need USFWS permits, even for captive-bred animals. Breeders of non-native captive-bred species can register under the Captive-Bred Wildlife program. Moving and selling within one state is left mostly to that state. 179
CITES Appendix I. Appendix I: commercial international trade in wild-caught animals is banned; international movement needs both import and export permits. Buying captive-bred animals within the U.S. isn't restricted by CITES (other federal or state laws may apply). 173 186
CDC primate import rule. Nonhuman primates can be imported only by CDC-registered importers for science, education or exhibition, never as pets. Most states also ban or tightly restrict pet primates. 188
USDA Animal Welfare Act. Keeping a pet for yourself doesn't need a federal license. Dealers (including many breeders who sell wholesale or sight-unseen) and exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) generally need a USDA license and inspections; some small-scale breeders and retail sellers are exempt. 184

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Animal Welfare Act standards

Nonhuman primates (Subpart D). Applies to USDA-licensed or registered dealers, exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) and research facilities. Private pet owners are not covered. These are legal minimums, not best care; the species care on this page goes further.

Facilities must document and follow an environment enhancement plan for psychological well-being, directed by the attending veterinarian. §3.81
Social needs: species that live in groups in nature must have provision for social housing; individually housed primates must be able to see and hear their own or a compatible species. §3.81
Enrichment must let them express non-injurious species-typical behavior: perches, swings, objects to manipulate, varied food, foraging or task-oriented feeding, and interaction with familiar caregivers. §3.81
Special attention is required for infants and young juveniles, animals showing psychological distress, those used in research, great apes over 110 lb and individually housed animals. §3.81
Minimum enclosure space is set by the species' typical weight; perches and swings don't count toward it unless the space beneath can be comfortably used. §3.80

Source: 9 CFR Part 3, current eCFR text (USDA APHIS Animal Care).

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
Covered by one of our in-depth care sheets
2562 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lemur catta Zoo, university or veterinaryUniversity-hosted species account, mostly wild biology.
AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
50 CFR 17.11: Endangered and threatened wildlife Zoo, university or veterinaryCurrent federal Endangered Species Act list.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
CDC: Bringing an animal into the United States Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal rules on importing animals that can carry human disease.
9 CFR 2.1: Animal Welfare Act licensing (USDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryWho needs a USDA license to breed, sell or exhibit animals.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Overview of nonhuman primates Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
MSD Veterinary Manual — Nutrition in Primates Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.