Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur - Ecology

Ecology

Ruffed lemurs are the most frugivorous of all the lemur species, they will and often do feed on over 80 to 132 different plant species. Studies show that most of their feeding time is spent on basic fruit which consumes around 80% of that time. The rest of which is spent mostly on nectar and various other forage. In general most male black and white ruffed lemurs will eat less than a female will during the hot dry seasons of Madagascar. Another difference between the diet of male and female ruffed lemurs is that when a female is pregnant and also lactating she will eat significantly more flowers and leaves than the male in order to supply her child and the high energy cost of reproduction. Of the general plants they eat, the most common types are Canarium (Burseracea), Cryptocarya, Ocotea, Ravensara (Lauraceae), Ficus (Moraceae), Eugenia/Syzygium (Myrtaceae), and Grewia (Tiliaceae). Studies recording ruffed lemurs in captivity and in the wild over the course of a year show that ruffed lemurs on an average spend around 28% of their time feeding, 53% resting, and the last 19% socializing and moving about.