Ring-tailed Lemur

Ring-tailed lemurs live in matriarchal groups of up to 30 individuals, where females remain their whole life and dominate all males.

Social rank is established early through play-fighting, with even the lowest- ranking female holding higher status than the top-ranking male.

Unlike most lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs spend around 40% of their time on the ground, moving on all fours across the forest floor.

While agile in trees, they cannot grasp with their tails, relying instead on their limbs for balance and movement.

To warm up after cool nights, ring-tailed lemurs gather in open areas to sunbathe.

Sitting upright in a “yoga-like” pose, they expose their less furry bellies to the sun, maximising heat absorption before becoming active and heading out to forage.