Field notebook
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Animal profile
Lemur catta
The ring-tailed lemur is a grey primate with a black-and-white banded tail, living in groups of about a dozen to twenty-five animals. It spends more time on the ground than most lemurs and sunbathes in an upright, spread-armed posture on cold mornings. Females hold social precedence over males.
Rival males draw their tails across scent glands on the wrists and shoulders, then arch the loaded tail over the back and flick the scent towards an opponent. The exchange can run for nearly an hour and usually settles the dispute without contact.
Rival males rub scent from wrist and shoulder glands onto their striped tails, then arch the tail forward over the back and flick it towards an opponent. Contests are settled by odour and persistence, and one animal eventually retreats.