Mongoose Lemur

Characteristics

The mongoose lemur is about the size of a small house cat, with the females being mostly gray in color, with a dark back and a white beard.  Males are generally darker with a reddish-brown beard.  Like all true lemurs, they have binocular vision, but not as well developed as in other primates. 

Behavior

A basic group of mongoose lemurs is composed of parents and their offspring of up to four individuals.  Within groups, females are usually dominant to males, giving them preferential access to food and their choice of whom to mate with.  Social bonds within a group are reinforced by grooming in their uniquely prosimian way, using their toothcomb to groom their fur and that of the other members of the group.  The mongoose lemur's activity changes from day to night based on the season.  During dry seasons, they tend to be nocturnal and will switch to diurnal actability at the start of a cold, wet season. 

Did You Know?  

• In the first four weeks, the newborn rides on its mother’s stomach, then transfers to her back to finish out the weaning period of 4-6 months.

• Mongoose lemurs are only one of two species of lemur that live away from the big island of Madagascar.  They are also found on the Comoro Islands!

• Most lemurs are active either during the day (diurnal) or at night (nocturnal), but mongoose lemurs are more versatile; they can change their daily activity patterns to suit the seasons.

Our Animals

We have a male and female pair of mongoose lemurs here at PPZ.  Both of them come to us from the Duke University Primate Center.