Ring-tailed lemurs have a complex social hierarchy in which females are dominant over males and stay within their native troop.
Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups of 15 to 30 individuals called troops.
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
