Lifespan and Reproductive Senescence in a Free-Ranging Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) Population at Berenty, Madagascar

Abstract

The lifespan and age-specific fecundity of female ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) were estimated from a 24-year longitudinal dataset based on individual identification at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar. The mean lifespan of females in 10-year (1989-1998) birth cohorts was 4.9 ± 4.9 years (n = 77), and the longest recorded lifespan in the population was 20 years. The mortality rate of adult females increased to ≥20% at 10-11 years old and reached 33-50% at 12-15 years old. Although the birth rate of old females (12-17 years old) was 72.0%, slightly lower than that of prime adult females (4-11 years old), i.e. 80.2%, no significant difference was found between them. Half of the females who reached the age of 12 years gave birth in the last year of their life. The oldest mother to give birth was 17 years old. These results suggest that most females can maintain reproductive performance in their later life and that there is no evidence for a postreproductive lifespan in this species.

Host age, social group, and habitat type influence the gut microbiota of wild ring‐tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

“…Females within the 5–9 year age range also become socially dynamic, establishing social ranks and mating with males that include not only group males but also males from nearby groups and transferring males [Sauther , Parga et al, submitted]. In addition, while younger females (2–3 years old) often lose their infants [Ichino et al, ], 5–9 year old females most often successfully reproduce and thus are grooming and interacting with both their own infants as well as those of others, as this species exhibits allonursing behaviors [Gould, ]. Together these changes could lead to distinctions in the 5–9 year‐old lemur gut microbiota.…”

“…From birth through the 5th year, lemurs are not physiologically or behaviorally mature. For example, although females can give birth in the 3rd year, it is rare for the infant to survive until the mother reaches age 5 [Ichino et al, ]. Also, dental maturity is not complete until the 4th or 5th year.…”

Key Male Glandular Odorants Attracting Female Ring-Tailed Lemurs

“…In contrast, the seasonal change in the amount of C12 and C14 aldehyde secretion from the 17-yearold male was small. The reproductive age of ring-tailed lemurs starts at 2-4 years [27,28]. The mean (±SD) lifespan of females was 4.9 ± 4.9 years and the longest was 20 years.…”

Patterns of Behaviour, Group Structure and Reproductive Status Predict Levels of Glucocorticoid Metabolites in Zoo-Housed Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Lemur catta

“…Subjects were 25 captive adult female L. catta (aged between 2 and 23 years at the start of the study [Ichino et al, 2015]) housed in 5 well-established groups, kept in 5 different zoological institutions in the UK, referred to as zoos A, B, C, D and E to maintain anonymity ( table 1 ). The group structure of all groups was similar to that found in the wild [Jolly et al, 2002] .…”