Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur

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Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur^[1]

Conservation status

Endangered (IUCN) ^[2]

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Family:	Lemuridae
Genus:	Varecia
Species:	V. variegata

Binomial name

Varecia variegata
(Kerr, 1792)

The Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata) is one of the two species of ruffed lemurs, the other being the Red Ruffed Lemur. Like all lemurs, it is native only to Madagascar.

The Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur can grow up to 4 ft long, although typically a little smaller, and is about 7-10 lbs. Its lifespan in captivity is about 18 years but many live to 20. It is quadrupedal.

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs are black with white areas on their limbs head and back. Their neck has a mane and the face has a muzzle like a dog's. Males and females look the same. They have the second loudest call of any primate, second only to the howler monkey.^{[citation needed]} They are the only lemur known to have litters rather than solitary young.

The diet of the Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur consists mainly of sweet fruits, leaves, nectar, flowers, seeds, and even dirt in some cases. It usually searches for food alone, rejoining its small group later to sleep.

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur are typically preyed upon by boa constrictors, eagles and the Fossa. Because the Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur is diurnal, the nocturnal Fossa poses the biggest threat.

There are three subspecies of Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur:

Varecia variegata variegata
Southern Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, Varecia variegata editorum
White-belted Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, Varecia variegata subcincta

[edit] References

^ Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 117. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
^ Baillie (1996). Varecia variegata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1cd v2.3)