Two Sets of Lemur Twins

Our ring-tailed lemur troop is growing with four new arrivals so far this year! Mom Bree gave birth to healthy twins on June 16. These tiny newcomers are still clinging tightly to mom, so we haven’t yet determined their gender. Bree is a very experienced mother, and in fact, this is her third set of twins in as many years. She is the troop’s matriarch and is also now a grandmother, since her daughter Teagan also gave birth to twins earlier this year.

Teagan delivered her babies on May 7, and she is a caring and attentive mother to her newborns. You’ll often see them clinging to mom as she moves around the lemur habitat, though they are starting to spend more time exploring and playing on their own while mom watches nearby. Other members of the troop, including Owyn, Teagan’s half-brother, have also stepped in to watch after the babies at times. They are currently noticeably bigger than Bree’s babies.

Native to the southern parts of Madagascar, ring-tailed lemurs live in large social groups called troops which range in size from 15 to 20 individuals led by a dominant female. Following a pregnancy that usually lasts about 20 weeks, females using give birth to a single infant, though twins like our newcomers do occur on occasion. For the first few weeks, the tiny newborn will cling to mom’s belly for protection then start climbing around to ride piggyback on mom as she travels through the forest. After a month, babies will begin spending more time exploring off of mom and becoming more independent.

You can now see our growing family at the lemur habitat playing and spending time with the rest of their group. Zoo Babies are presented by Hendricks Regional Health.