THE ANIMAL FILES

Ring-tailed lemur

Lemur catta

A striped tail can carry both a flag and a smell.

A ring-tailed lemur's tail is more than a recognisable pattern. It can be raised during group travel and used in scent displays between males. The animal also moves through a landscape of patchy vegetation, where ground travel and a varied diet connect its social life with food.[3][2]

Follow the evidence ↓
Ring-tailed lemur
Image: Alex Dunkel (Maky) · Commons · CC BY 3.0
A travelling flag
Raised tails help a travelling group stay together.[3]
The scented tail
Males rub gland secretions onto the tail.[2]
A varied vegetation menu
Fruit, leaves and flowers supply food.[3]

A travelling flag

During group travel, tails are held upright like visible flags, and calls also help maintain contact. Ground travel is frequent where vegetation is sparse and discontinuous.[3]

The scented tail

Males can apply scent from glands to their tails and wave them at rivals in displays called stink fights. Wrist spurs also help with scent marking on branches.[2]

A varied vegetation menu

Fruit, leaves, flowers, bark and sap all appear in the diet, along with occasional invertebrates. A broad menu fits a landscape where plant resources are scattered.[3]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Is the tail only a visual decoration?

No. It helps with group signalling and can carry scent used in male displays.[2][3]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why would a photograph miss part of a stink fight?

Reveal the explanation

It captures the raised, waving tail but not the chemical signal on it. The display involves smell as well as visible movement.[2]

Sources & editorial notes

Original explanations, checked against the sources below. The image has its own credit and licence above.

  1. NCBI Taxonomy — Lemur catta
  2. Smithsonian National Zoo — Ring-tailed lemur
  3. Duke Lemur Center — Ring-tailed lemur

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

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