Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur
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[Photo] Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata). Photo by Roderick Eime www.travography.com License: public domain.

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. 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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-and-white_Ruffed_Lemur

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