Ring-tailed lemurs are highly social and live in groups of 15 to 30 called troops, the largest of any lemur species.
Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups of 15 to 30 individuals called troops. These expansive troops are the largest groups of any lemur species.
These troops are highly social with complex interactions. All females are dominant over all males as the lowest ranking female is still higher in the social hierarchy than the highest ranking male. Hierarchy is typically established in a lemur’s youth through rough-and-tumble play.
Females stay with the same troop they were born into, while the males will typically move between troops every 2 to 5 years.
Sources: (Baumhofer, 2017; Gould, Sussman, & Sauther, 2003; Sauther, 2012; Wilson & Hanlon, 2010)
Image: Mathias Appel
