Each spring newborns join our growing colony of Ring-Tailed Lemurs. It is now the fourth consecutive year of lemur births at the Game Farm, the only ever born on Long Island.
The Ring-Tailed Lemurs are natives of the southern tip of Madagascar. They were named for their eye-catching black and white tails ringed with thirteen alternating bands.
The Ring-Tailed Lemur is a day-active primate and is one of the most terrestrial species of lemurs native to Madagascar. They inhabit the dry scrub and deciduous forests of south and southwestern part of Madagascar.
Lemurs live in groups of three to twenty individuals. Females are dominant over males and remain in their birth groups. Infants begin riding on their mothers' backs within two weeks of birth. However, in spite of such close contact, only about 40 percent reach maturity.
Lemurs eat flowers, fruit, occasional insects and small invertebrate prey. They grow to weigh between 6.5 - 7.5 pounds and live up to 20-25 years.