Briddle-Tailed Lemur

The briddle-tailed lemur, also known as the ringed lemur (not to be confused with the more famous ring-tailed lemur), is a very common species of lemur that is native to much of Madagascar, but has since been introduced to California and Florida due to zoo escapees. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is part of the genus, Lemur, the same genus as the closely related yet endangered ring-tailed lemur, but is part of the different species, Lemur Accidentalis, and it is named because of its tail colorations that sets it apart from ring-tailed lemurs. It inhabits almost every habitat known in Madagascar, from arid scrublands, to dry forests, to wet swamps, and other kinds of habitats. It is an omnivore, and, along with the black-hooded lemur, it is the most omnivorous of the lemurs, that feeds on any kind of food available, including mushrooms, pollen, nectar, fruits, leaves, vegetables, roots, tubers, insects, fish, frogs, small lizards and snakes, small birds, smaller mammals, eggs, and even carrion. Briddle-tailed lemurs can be either solitary or social, depending on an individual, with the solitary ones being competitive towards other lemurs for territory, food, etc, and more aggressive, while the social ones being more friendlier to other lemurs and share food, territories, etc. They also are very common because of their fast reproductive systems, with gestation periods lasting about 3-3.5 months and are very frequent breeders. Unlike most other lemur species, briddle-tailed lemurs are in no risk of becoming extinct due to their remarkable tolerance to habitat loss. These lemurs also adapt really well into human settlements, making them among the few species of lemur to flourish in human settlements in their native range.