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All Animals

Ring-tailed Lemur

Ring-tailed lemurs live in social groups and spend nearly half their time on the ground, the other in trees. All lemurs are found in the wild only on the island of Madagascar, where they are threatened by habitat loss, hunting and the pet trade.

three ring-tailed lemurs sitting on tree branch
Stable
Threatened
Endangered
2025 Conservation Successes

2025 Conservation Successes

March 4, 2026

In 2025, the Houston Zoo and its global partners made powerful strides for wildlife. Together, we protected habitats, rescued imperiled species, and strengthened communities working on the front lines of conservation. Highlights from…

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Animal Facts

Scientific Name

Lemur catta

Range

South and southwest Madagascar

Location in the Zoo

Wortham World of Primates

Cool Animal Fact

Males have scent glands on their wrists and chest to mark territory. They engage in “stink fighting” with other males after their tails are anointed with scent.

VIDEO

How the Houston Zoo is working to save wildlife in Madagascar:

 

How we Help Save Them

  • The Zoo provides support, salaries, and equipment for local communities in Madagascar to protect lemurs.
  • The Zoo provides support for an all Malagasy (people from Madagascar) wildlife professional team called GERP to empower and strengthen communities to protect forests and wildlife. They provide education, health support and livelihood training for communities living around forests and lemurs in Madagascar.
  • The Zoo provides support for local communities to replant native plants around forests where lemurs live.
  • 1 new species of mouse lemur was discovered through our support.

How You Can Help

Become an informed shopper about furniture, musical instruments and other wood products. Whenever possible, choose locally sourced wood and don’t buy anything that is made of imported wood.