Common Name: Red ruffed lemur

Scientific Name: Varecia variegata rubra

These primates live on the islands of the Primate Expedition Cruise.

The zoo donates 5% of all plush primate sales
for conservation of wild primates including lemurs.

Conservation: Listed as Critically Endangered by the 2000 Red List from the IUCN. Red ruffed lemurs are facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future because of population reduction of at least 80%, projected or suspected to be met within the next 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer, based on a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and/or quality of habitat along with actual or potential levels of exploitation. The extent of their occurrence is estimated to be less than 100 square km or area of occupancy estimated to be less than 10 km2, and estimates indicate they are severely fragmented or known to exist at only a single location. Their decline, observed, inferred or projected, in area of occupancy as well as area, extent and/or quality of habitat.

Recommended LINKS & BOOKS

Learn even more about red ruffed lemurs from Duke University Primate Center. You can even Adopt-A-Lemur!

A great reference book on primates is Noel Rowe's The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates.

Check out "the" lemur guide by Conservation International. It may be a bit difficult to find and it looks pricey for the size, but it is well worth it for the wealth of lemur information within. This provides extensive information about each species as well as overall history, conservation and the best places to see them in Madagascar.

Dr. David Macdonald's Encyclopedia of Mammals is one of the great standards for mammal information including the lemurs. Purchase it through Amazon.com by clicking on the photo to help the zoo!

A highly acclaimed video on Madagascar is from the PBS Living Edens series -- Madagascar: A World Apart.

A fun and serious look into the world of lemurs can be seen on video with In the Wild: Lemurs with John Cleese