Red-bellied lemur
Eulemur rubriventer
We have three male red-bellied lemurs here at Edinburgh Zoo. Gidro, Mogwai and Bart can be seen in the mixed lemur exhibit with our ring-tailed lemurs.
Red-bellied lemurs are among the rarest primates in the world. They are found only in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. They live in small groups of two to 10 individuals and will form monogamous pairings.
Red-bellied lemurs eat lots of different foods. They are omnivores, which means they eat fruit, leaves, flowers, nectar and insects. Sometimes, they even eat toxic millipedes! To make the millipedes safe, the lemurs drool on them. The saliva helps neutralise some of the toxic chemicals on the millipede’s body. A neat trick!
Red-bellied lemurs are listed as Vulnerable because their homes are being destroyed by logging and farming.
Population
Decreasing
Diet
Omnivore
Habitat
Rainforest
Fact file
Males and females are easily told apart as only males have a red belly while females have a white one
They use the teeth on the lower jaw like a comb, removing ticks and fleas from each other’s coats
Red-bellied lemurs have a mixed diet of flowers, fruit, insects, leaves and nectar
How we're helping
Like all the animals in our care Gidro, Mogwai and Bart are amazing ambassadors for their relatives in the wild and help hundreds of thousands of people connect with nature every year. They encourage visitors to learn about the threats facing wildlife and the action they can take to help create a world where nature is protected, valued and loved.
As a wildlife conservation charity, we care for the animals here at the zoo and work to protect species at risk around the world. From providing expertise in genetics and veterinary health, to protecting wild places with local conservation partners, and even restoring threatened species to the wild, we are active where we are needed most.
Find out more about RZSS conservation