Premium
Management and husbandry of ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata , at the San Diego Zoo. II. Reproduction, pregnancy, parturition, litter size, infant care, and reintroduction of hand‐raised infants
Author(s) -
Brockman Diane K.,
Willis Mary S.,
Karesh William B.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.1430060409
Subject(s) - lemur , litter , biology , captivity , reproduction , pregnancy , animal husbandry , zoology , physiology , ecology , primate , genetics , agriculture
Detailed descriptions of ruffed lemur reproductive biology and behavior are presented, including data on pregnancy, parturition, litter size, and infant care. As with various other prosimians, ruffed lemurs are reproductively photosensitive and seasonally polyestrous. Litters of one to six infants are born from March through July after a gestation length of 102 days. The most frequent litter size in captivity is twins, followed by singletons. Females give birth in nest boxes, usually between the hours of 2000 and 0400. Maternal neglect is associated with low birth weight, infant hypothermia, and large litter size. Infants rejected by the dams are artificially reared in a nursery setting and reintroduced to adult animals at 4–6 months of age.