White-belted ruffed lemurs
Varecia variegata subcincta
White-belted ruffed lemurs are originally from Madagascar and their numbers are significantly declining in the wild. Yet they thrive in captivity.
Ruffed lemurs are different from other lemurs as their babies don’t cling to the mother. Babies are either carried in their mother’s mouth or left in a safe nest in a nearby tree.
These lemurs can jump very silently. They prefer to come out in the morning and evening, rather than at night. They can also be very noisy and can send out very loud barking noises on a regular basis, or when alarmed. The average white belted ruffed lemur can be up to 60 centimetres (cm) with a tail of up to 65 cm. It can weigh up to four kilograms.
We have had a lot of success in the past with the breeding of this critically endangered species. The male lemurs in our group have now been moved to a bachelor group, as part of a cooperative breeding programme.
IUCN red list status
The IUCN status of the white-belted ruffed lemurs is critically endangered.
For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org.
Animal class
Mammal
Conservation status
White-belted lemurs are classified under Appendix I of CITES. The IUCN believes that they are facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Habitat
Rainforest
Population
The current population of white-belted ruffed lemurs is 10,000 in the wild.
Diet
Omnivore. These lemurs like to eat mainly fruit but will also take leaves, seeds and nectar.