Ring-tailed lemur

Madagascar

The ring-tailed lemur, or catta, is the most famous species of the lemur family. The main advantage of these animals is their long tail, numbering 13-14 black and white stripes. It serves ring-tailed lemurs for signals between relatives, as a scent distributor, and to maintai`n balance when climbing and jumping. Ring-tailed lemurs live in groups of 15-20 individuals with a complex social structure. Females spend their entire lives in the group they were born into, while males migrate from group to group every few years. Females always dominate over males, and even a female at the very bottom of the hierarchical ladder will always be higher in rank than any male. The family group ranges from 15 to 57 acres. Males have sharp fingertips, with which they scratch the bark of young trees; glands on the paws permeate the bark with a pungent odor, marking the boundaries of the territory. Every day, lemurs walk around their territory in search of food. They show aggression towards strangers. Ring-tailed lemurs willingly sit in the sun and enjoy its warmth, spreading their paws to the sides.