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Description

Species Name: Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs

Species Latin Name: Varecia variegata

Also Known As: Variegated Lemur

Native To: The island of Madagascar

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Photo Taken At: N/A

Size (length): 100 – 120cm (39.4 – 47.2 inches)

Weight: 3 – 4 kg (6.6 – 8.8 pounds)

Top Speed: 20kmh

Lifespan: 19 – 32 years

Population: 1,000 – 10,000

Population Trend: Decreasing

Diet: Frugivore, folivore, herbivore

Lifestyle: Arboreal, altricial, zoochory, island endemic, nomadic, terrestrial, viviparous

Group Name: Conspiracy

Baby Name: Infant

Mating Behaviour: Monogamy, polygyny

Reproductive Season: June - July

Pregnancy Duration: 90 – 102 days

Births per pregnancy: 2 – 3 infants

Independent Age: 6 months

Age of Sexual Maturity: 20 months

Sub Species:

White-belted Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata subcincta), Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Hill's Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata editorum), Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata variegata), Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Description:

Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs are the largest species of Lemur alongside the Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra). These animals do have a little sexual dimorphism in that the females are generally larger and heavier than the males and the females can have much longer tails compared to males. The tail of a male Lemur of this species will range between 43.6 – 56.5cm (17.2 – 22.2 inches) where as the tail for a female can range between 46.9 – 57.0cm (18.4 – 22.4 inches). These Lemurs will always have black and white fur and the colour patterns on these animals do not usually vary. Their abdomen, tail, hands, feet, inner limbs, forehead, face, and crown are all black. Meanwhile the fur on their sides, back, hind limbs, and on the hindquarters are always white. Both males and females will have the same pattern of colour to their fur. These animals have long noses which gives them a good sense of smell, they have large light brownish-orange eyes.

Diet:

The overwhelming majority of this animals diet will consist of various fruits as these animals are dependent on the high fat content found in the fruits they consume. During the seasons when these fruits are rare they will instead resort to a diet consisting of young leaves, flowers, and nectar. They will spend most of their day foraging for food in mature canopy trees which produce the majority of the food that they eat. These animals will eat from around 19 – 40 different species of plants depending on their location. A larger portion of the fruit they consume come from four different types of fruit trees:

Ravensara, species of trees and shrubs under the family Lauraceae

Chrysophyllum boivinianum

Protorhus, species of plants under the family Anacardioideae

Dragon's Blood Tree also known as Orange-milk Tree and Haronga (Harungana madagascariensis)

Behaviour:

This species of Lemur is noted for being the second loudest primate in the world after the Howler Monkeys located in central and South America. There are several different kinds of calls that the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs use each of which last several seconds, most of the Lemurs in a group will often participate in a chorus for each call. These animals are particularly well known for their loud choruses that consist of roars and shrieks which have several meanings such as to communicate group movement, spacing among groups, alarming other members of the group of predators. Unlike other species of Lemur these calls are not intended to maintain the territory of the group, their calls are heard throughout the day and are usually not heard during the night. During the day these calls will occur with throughout the day, there is no particular time during the day when these calls are heard more or less often. The areas these Lemurs live in can cross over with areas where the Red Ruffed Lemur lives, it is noted that the calls between these two species differ in frequency and pulse rate.

Both the females and the males of this species have been noted to mark their territories with scents, although they will only mark their scents on horizontal surfaces. Females will mark their scents by squatting and rubbing their genital areas back and forth on a substrate, males on the other hand will mark their scent by lowering their bodies and rubbing their chins, chest, and neck on a surface. These scent marks are believed to be a means to prevent their territories being trespassed by other Lemurs. These animals have a keen sense of smell that can not only be used to smell these scent marks but also to determine the ripeness of the fruits they eat or for locating new potential feeding grounds.

The mating system for these Lemurs is little understood. It appears that the mating system and how these animals group together is determined largely by the availability of resources. These Lemurs have been noted to gather in mating pairs or in large communities, Lemurs can separate or rejoin these communities if required likely depending on what resources are available at the given time. It is noted that these animals can practice both a monogamous as well as a polygynous mating system, at times it has been noted that a single male can mate with multiple females but at the same time it can also be noted that females may mate with multiple males. Parenting for this species is rather unique for Lemur species in that a single infant is not prioritized, instead the infants will be cared for in groups and the females can produce multiple infants per pregnancy. Instead of the infant clinging to the mother like other primate species the infants will be placed into a sort of nest where they are protected by the responsible parents. An interesting aspect of this species is that the males will only care for the infants if there is certainty of them being the father of the children, as it is more likely a female will mate with multiple males in larger social groups it is less likely for a male to bare responsibility of any infants in these large social groups.

Mating season appears to range between the months of June to July, this species of Lemur is unique in that they have short pregnancy periods with high quantity of infants being born each pregnancy. After a pregnancy period of 90 – 102 days the mother will give birth to an average of 2 – 3 infants although it is noted that these Lemurs can give birth to a total of 6 infants per pregnancy. More than 50% of the time the Lemurs will give birth to twins. The mother will carry her twins if needed in her mouth which is different to how most Lemurs will transport their young, when the infants are larger they may ride on the mothers back instead. After 3 weeks of being born the young infants may leave the nest that they were placed in and they are as mobile as their parents by the time they reach 7 weeks of age. They start to wean at 4 – 5 months of age and reach the same size as the other adults after 6 months. Females become sexually mature at around 20 months of age however, they will usually not give birth to their first infants until they are about 3.4 years of age.

Threats:

As listed before all 3 of the sub species of this Lemur are all critically endangered. The largest threat to these animals is the loss of habitat and being hunted by local villagers for meat. A great deal of habitat is lost for these animals as a result of logging, mining, agriculture, and other human developments. It is noted that the slash and burn tactics used in agriculture in these areas are particularly damaging not only in the areas where they are practiced but also the surrounding areas as well. Unfortunately the fact that this species is only active during the day and their nesting habits make them particularly vulnerable to being predated on by not just predatory animals but humans as well, this species of Lemur is the most heavily hunted Lemur species in Madagascar.

List of Species of predators that prey on the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur:

Henst's Goshawk (Accipiter henstii), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Ring-tailed Mongoose also known as Ring-tailed Vontsira (Galidia elegans), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Brown-tailed Mongoose also known as Brown-tailed Vontsira, Malagasy brown-tailed Mongoose, and Salano (Salanoia concolor), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

During the years of 1997 – 2001 there were efforts to breed Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs with the intention of releasing them back into the wild. The program involved having the animals adjust to a simulated wooded environment so that they could improve their chances of success in the wild. They were released into the wild with radio transmitting collars to help track and research their progress. The program had some limited success with one male successfully integrating with an existing group and producing offspring however, a good number of the introduced animals were preyed on by the native predators in the area. Since then the breeding program has been ceased largely due to the continued degradation of the animals habitat and due to how fragmented their populations are.

With the numbers continuing to decrease and with the breeding program on halt for the time being it appears that the future of this species seems quite dire. With their habitats continuing to be degraded due to human expansion it is unclear when the breeding program may make a return.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-an…

Animal Diversity: animaldiversity.org/accounts/V…

Kidadl: kidadl.com/animal-facts/black-…

Animalia: animalia.bio/black-and-white-r…

Description

Species Name: Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs

Species Latin Name: Varecia variegata

Also Known As: Variegated Lemur

Native To: The island of Madagascar

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Photo Taken At: N/A

Size (length): 100 – 120cm (39.4 – 47.2 inches)

Weight: 3 – 4 kg (6.6 – 8.8 pounds)

Top Speed: 20kmh

Lifespan: 19 – 32 years

Population: 1,000 – 10,000

Population Trend: Decreasing

Diet: Frugivore, folivore, herbivore

Lifestyle: Arboreal, altricial, zoochory, island endemic, nomadic, terrestrial, viviparous

Group Name: Conspiracy

Baby Name: Infant

Mating Behaviour: Monogamy, polygyny

Reproductive Season: June - July

Pregnancy Duration: 90 – 102 days

Births per pregnancy: 2 – 3 infants

Independent Age: 6 months

Age of Sexual Maturity: 20 months

Sub Species:

White-belted Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata subcincta), Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Hill's Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata editorum), Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata variegata), Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

Description:

Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs are the largest species of Lemur alongside the Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra). These animals do have a little sexual dimorphism in that the females are generally larger and heavier than the males and the females can have much longer tails compared to males. The tail of a male Lemur of this species will range between 43.6 – 56.5cm (17.2 – 22.2 inches) where as the tail for a female can range between 46.9 – 57.0cm (18.4 – 22.4 inches). These Lemurs will always have black and white fur and the colour patterns on these animals do not usually vary. Their abdomen, tail, hands, feet, inner limbs, forehead, face, and crown are all black. Meanwhile the fur on their sides, back, hind limbs, and on the hindquarters are always white. Both males and females will have the same pattern of colour to their fur. These animals have long noses which gives them a good sense of smell, they have large light brownish-orange eyes.

Diet:

The overwhelming majority of this animals diet will consist of various fruits as these animals are dependent on the high fat content found in the fruits they consume. During the seasons when these fruits are rare they will instead resort to a diet consisting of young leaves, flowers, and nectar. They will spend most of their day foraging for food in mature canopy trees which produce the majority of the food that they eat. These animals will eat from around 19 – 40 different species of plants depending on their location. A larger portion of the fruit they consume come from four different types of fruit trees:

Ravensara, species of trees and shrubs under the family Lauraceae

Chrysophyllum boivinianum

Protorhus, species of plants under the family Anacardioideae

Dragon's Blood Tree also known as Orange-milk Tree and Haronga (Harungana madagascariensis)

Behaviour:

This species of Lemur is noted for being the second loudest primate in the world after the Howler Monkeys located in central and South America. There are several different kinds of calls that the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs use each of which last several seconds, most of the Lemurs in a group will often participate in a chorus for each call. These animals are particularly well known for their loud choruses that consist of roars and shrieks which have several meanings such as to communicate group movement, spacing among groups, alarming other members of the group of predators. Unlike other species of Lemur these calls are not intended to maintain the territory of the group, their calls are heard throughout the day and are usually not heard during the night. During the day these calls will occur with throughout the day, there is no particular time during the day when these calls are heard more or less often. The areas these Lemurs live in can cross over with areas where the Red Ruffed Lemur lives, it is noted that the calls between these two species differ in frequency and pulse rate.

Both the females and the males of this species have been noted to mark their territories with scents, although they will only mark their scents on horizontal surfaces. Females will mark their scents by squatting and rubbing their genital areas back and forth on a substrate, males on the other hand will mark their scent by lowering their bodies and rubbing their chins, chest, and neck on a surface. These scent marks are believed to be a means to prevent their territories being trespassed by other Lemurs. These animals have a keen sense of smell that can not only be used to smell these scent marks but also to determine the ripeness of the fruits they eat or for locating new potential feeding grounds.

The mating system for these Lemurs is little understood. It appears that the mating system and how these animals group together is determined largely by the availability of resources. These Lemurs have been noted to gather in mating pairs or in large communities, Lemurs can separate or rejoin these communities if required likely depending on what resources are available at the given time. It is noted that these animals can practice both a monogamous as well as a polygynous mating system, at times it has been noted that a single male can mate with multiple females but at the same time it can also be noted that females may mate with multiple males. Parenting for this species is rather unique for Lemur species in that a single infant is not prioritized, instead the infants will be cared for in groups and the females can produce multiple infants per pregnancy. Instead of the infant clinging to the mother like other primate species the infants will be placed into a sort of nest where they are protected by the responsible parents. An interesting aspect of this species is that the males will only care for the infants if there is certainty of them being the father of the children, as it is more likely a female will mate with multiple males in larger social groups it is less likely for a male to bare responsibility of any infants in these large social groups.

Mating season appears to range between the months of June to July, this species of Lemur is unique in that they have short pregnancy periods with high quantity of infants being born each pregnancy. After a pregnancy period of 90 – 102 days the mother will give birth to an average of 2 – 3 infants although it is noted that these Lemurs can give birth to a total of 6 infants per pregnancy. More than 50% of the time the Lemurs will give birth to twins. The mother will carry her twins if needed in her mouth which is different to how most Lemurs will transport their young, when the infants are larger they may ride on the mothers back instead. After 3 weeks of being born the young infants may leave the nest that they were placed in and they are as mobile as their parents by the time they reach 7 weeks of age. They start to wean at 4 – 5 months of age and reach the same size as the other adults after 6 months. Females become sexually mature at around 20 months of age however, they will usually not give birth to their first infants until they are about 3.4 years of age.

Threats:

As listed before all 3 of the sub species of this Lemur are all critically endangered. The largest threat to these animals is the loss of habitat and being hunted by local villagers for meat. A great deal of habitat is lost for these animals as a result of logging, mining, agriculture, and other human developments. It is noted that the slash and burn tactics used in agriculture in these areas are particularly damaging not only in the areas where they are practiced but also the surrounding areas as well. Unfortunately the fact that this species is only active during the day and their nesting habits make them particularly vulnerable to being predated on by not just predatory animals but humans as well, this species of Lemur is the most heavily hunted Lemur species in Madagascar.

List of Species of predators that prey on the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur:

Henst's Goshawk (Accipiter henstii), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Ring-tailed Mongoose also known as Ring-tailed Vontsira (Galidia elegans), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Brown-tailed Mongoose also known as Brown-tailed Vontsira, Malagasy brown-tailed Mongoose, and Salano (Salanoia concolor), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

During the years of 1997 – 2001 there were efforts to breed Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs with the intention of releasing them back into the wild. The program involved having the animals adjust to a simulated wooded environment so that they could improve their chances of success in the wild. They were released into the wild with radio transmitting collars to help track and research their progress. The program had some limited success with one male successfully integrating with an existing group and producing offspring however, a good number of the introduced animals were preyed on by the native predators in the area. Since then the breeding program has been ceased largely due to the continued degradation of the animals habitat and due to how fragmented their populations are.

With the numbers continuing to decrease and with the breeding program on halt for the time being it appears that the future of this species seems quite dire. With their habitats continuing to be degraded due to human expansion it is unclear when the breeding program may make a return.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-an…

Animal Diversity: animaldiversity.org/accounts/V…

Kidadl: kidadl.com/animal-facts/black-…

Animalia: animalia.bio/black-and-white-r…