Black and White Ruffed Lemur

The handsome black-and-white ruffed lemur is, along with the red ruffed lemur, the largest member of the Lemuridae family. Its long and luxuriant fur is a patchwork of pure white and pitch black, with the overall pattern of this distinct coat varying throughout the species’ range. Generally, in the northern parts of its range, the pelage is mostly black, while white dominates in those individuals in the south. The face and top of the head are typically black, which contrasts with the large, vivid yellow eyes and the striking white ruff that frames the face and gives this species its name. Its hands, feet and long, bushy tail are also typically black. In groups, the black-and-white ruffed lemur produces a chorus of deep, barking, alarm calls that can be heard from great distances on a still night, and it calls with a wailing howl when defending its territory. The black-and-white ruffed lemur is active mainly in the early morning and late afternoon. It travels through its forest habitat by walking or running on larger branches and leaping from tree to tree, and is capable of leaping significant distances with great accuracy. It enjoys a rich diet of fruit, seeds, leaves and nectar, obtaining the nectar by using its long snout and tongue to reach deep inside the flowers. Through its taste for nectar, the black-and-white ruffed lemur has developed a fascinating relationship with the traveller’s tree (Ravenala madagascariensis), a tall palm-like tree topped with a single vertical fan of large leaves. Using its strength and dexterity, this lemur pulls open tough bracts which hide numerous pale, yellow flowers within. As it drinks the nectar, the plant’s pollen sticks to the lemur’s fur, and will be carried with the lemur when it goes to feed at the next tree. As a result, the black-and-white ruffed lemur acts as pollinator for the traveller’s tree, and is in fact thought to be the largest pollinator in the world.