# Ring-tailed lemur (*Lemur catta*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/ring-tailed-lemur  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is a mammal in the order Primates, suborder Strepsirrhini and family Lemuridae. It is a medium-sized, diurnal and scansorial frugivore with an adult body mass of 2.9 kg. The IUCN Red List classifies the ring-tailed lemur as Endangered (EN), a threatened category, in its global assessment. Gestation lasts 134.8 days, litters hold 1.1 young, sexual maturity comes at 2.5 years, and lifespan is 30 years, with values up to 37.3 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2.56 kg – 2.9 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 30 years |
| Diet | Frugivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 37.3 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest, shrubland |
| Gestation | 132 days – 135 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1.11 |
| Age at maturity | 22.1 months – 2.5 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.964 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Scansorial |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Primates
- family: Lemuridae
- genus: Lemur
- species: *Lemur catta* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Lemur calla*, *Maki mococo*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the ring-tailed lemur?

The ring-tailed lemur is a mammal, a primate of the suborder Strepsirrhini and the family Lemuridae.

### How heavy is a ring-tailed lemur?

An adult Ring-tailed lemur has a body mass of 2.9 kg, which places it in the medium size class.

### What does the ring-tailed lemur eat?

The ring-tailed lemur is a frugivore, and its trophic level is herbivore.

### Is the ring-tailed lemur endangered?

Yes. The IUCN Red List classifies it as Endangered (EN), a threatened category.

### How long does a ring-tailed lemur live?

The ring-tailed lemur has a lifespan of 30 years, with values reported up to 37.3 years.

### How many young does a ring-tailed lemur have?

A ring-tailed lemur has 1.1 young per litter and 0.96 litters per year, after a gestation of 134.8 days.

### Who named the ring-tailed lemur?

The scientific name Lemur catta was given by Linnaeus, 1758.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ring-tailed-lemur