Ringtailed Lemur Biology

Alison Jolly was the first scientist to study ringtailed lemurs in the wild, beginning in 1963. She continues her research on their troops in Berenty Reserve, working with many colleagues and students. Robert Sussman began the survey of ringtails throughout Wesern Madagascar in 1970, and in 1979 co-founded Beza Mahafaly Reserve of the School of Agronomy, University of Antananarivo. He has also continued research with generations of western and Malagasy students since then. Naoki Koyama heads the Kyoto University study group on ringtail behavior at Berenty, 1989 to the present. Hantanirina Rasamimanana of the École Normale Supérieur, University of Antananarivo, first worked at Berenty in 1983, and continues research there with the ENS students. In short, the four editors head all the major ringtail research groups, and have united with their colleagues and students to write this volume.

From the reviews: "I can point ... this book as the perfect place to get 'cool stuff' on ringtailed lemurs. ... this book is a must-have and instant classic for any existing or budding researchers with an interest in ringtailed lemurs. The data will be of interest to anyone conducting meta-analysis studies of primate diets. ... the book will find its way onto the bookshelves of many professional primatologists and mammologists. I also think that the book will be of interest to amateur naturalists and students ... ." (Shawn M. Lehman, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, Vol. 15, 2008)

• Distribution: Ringtailed Lemurs in Madagascar.- The Distribution and Biogeography of the Ringtailed Lemur (Lemur catta) in Madagascar.- A Preliminary Estimate of Lemur catta Population Density Using Satellite Imagery.- Berenty Reserve: A Research Site in Southern Madagascar.- Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve: A Research Site in Southwestern Madagascar.- Ringtails and Their Forests: Feeding and Ranging.- Plant Species Fed on by Lemur catta in Gallery Forests of the Southern Domain of Madagascar.- Tamarind Recruitment and Long-Term Stability in the Gallery Forest at Berenty, Madagascar.- Home Ranges of Ringtailed Lemur Troops.- The Influence of Tamarind Tree Quality and Quantity on Lemur catta Behavior.- Feeding Competition Between Introduced Eulemur fulvus and Native Lemur catta During the Birth Season at Berenty Reserve, Southern Madagascar.- Tradition and Novelty: Lemur catta Feeding Strategy on Introduced Tree Species at Berenty Reserve.- Diet Quality and Taste Perception of Plant Secondary Metabolites by Lemur catta.- Social Behavior within and Between Troops.- Territory as Bet-hedging: Lemur catta in a Rich Forest and an Erratic Climate.- Resource Defense in Lemur catta: The Importance of Group Size.- Social Changes in a Wild Population of Ringtailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) at Berenty, Madagascar.- Obsession with Agonistic Power.- Male and Female Ringtailed Lemurs' Energetic Strategy Does Not Explain Female Dominance.- Male Sociality and Integration During the Dispersal Process in Lemur catta: A Case Study.- Health and Disease.- Patterns of Health, Disease, and Behavior Among Wild Ringtailed Lemurs, Lemur catta: Effects of Habitat and Sex.- Bald Lemur Syndrome and the Miracle Tree: Alopecia Associated with Leucaena leucocephala at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar.- Temporal Change in Tooth Size Among Ringtailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar: Effects of an Environmental Fluctuation.