A Story of a White Ring-tailed Lemur "Sapphire" by Adrian Warren.....Page 2 of 4
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A JEWEL IN THE CROWD
A Story of a White Ring-tailed Lemur:

Written and Photographed by ADRIAN WARREN
Pubished in BBC WILDLIFE Magazine; February 1997 Page 22- 25

Ring-tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) mother with twin babies
Image gallery of Lemurs

We looked forward to following young Sapphire's progress over the coming months as he learned these crucial skills. But for now, there were other things to think about, in the shape of two late arrivals to the troop -a pair of twins, one of each sex. Compared to Sapphire, they were unbelievably tiny, as twins tend to be. Partly because of their size, and partly because they were born late, to a subordinate mother, we knew they had little hope of both surviving.

Considering her position in the female hierarchy, the twins' mother was surprisingly calm and conscientious, often seeking out a quiet spot some distance away from her companions where she could give her youngsters her full attention. We knew she would have a tough time providing enough milk for two hungry mouths in the coming weeks. Everything was parched dry, the trees were shedding their leaves, and though there was plenty of food to be had in the shape of tamarind fruit, there was little or no moisture. It was as if the whole forest was holding its breath, waiting for the first drops of much-needed rain.

Life isn't easy for little ring-tails at the best of times. About half of all infants die in their first year, many from injuries, some as a result of falls from high branches. At birth, they are almost completely helpless, though they can use their tiny hands and feet to grasp their mothers' fur in a vice-like grip while being carried at speed through the treetops. At first, they are carried beneath the belly -within easy reach of a nipple. As they grow, they switch to travelling on their mothers' backs. From this vantage point they can observe how their mothers are treated by other troop members.
Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) baby on mother's back

A high-ranking mother, for instance, enjoys special treatment: her infant will see that she is confident and that she elicits submissive reactions from other members of the troop. Females change rank every two or three years, however, and the high-status infant may have to fight for her future rank -but she'll know how to go about it.

By contrast, a low-ranking mother is constantly bullied by higher-ranking females and must work hard to protect her infant. Her youngster learns how to be submissive. Perhaps it will grow up to be a low-ranking male or a nervous, inadequate mother- assuming it lives that long.

Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) baby on mother's back

As the weeks passed, Sapphire grew steadily. He became a confident youngster, forming play groups with other infants of his own age. He was adventurous and inquisitive, wandering away from his mother to clamber along branches and make contact with other troop members -typical behaviour for a young male ring-tail.

Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) male

Females, in this female-dominated world, are as rambunctious as the males, but they also remain close to their mothers, learning skills that will stand them in good stead when they have babies of their own. Sometimes they get the chance to act as 'aunts', holding and grooming their baby brothers or sisters.

The relationships that females forge with their mothers are long-lasting -for females never leave their natal troop. Males, on the other hand, grow up to become wanderers, staying with their natal troop only for a short while. After leaving home, they spend their time roaming the forest with other males, looking for other troops to join.

As far as Sapphire was concerned, that .was all in the future. For the moment his life slipped into a reassuring daily routine. This would begin at dawn, as the troop took a short journey on the forest floor, from a favourite sleeping tree to a huge and ancient tamarind.

Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) : Sapphire with mother

Ring-tails are completely at home in the treetops, the bare upper branches of the tamarind made an ideal arena for a morning assembly. Here the lemurs would climb to their favourite perches to bask in the first warming rays of sunshine. It was a time to be with friends, to groom, to play or to tend to the needs of infants. One of the males would climb to a perch on one of the highest branches to sing, sending a message far across the forest proclaiming the troop'sownership of this treasured tree


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