Zoo database

Red-ruffed lemur

Varecia rubra

Natural diet Red-ruffed lemur

Fruits
Leaves

Red-ruffed are naturally seen in tropical forests on the northeastern part of Madagascar. They have a herbivorous diet that largely consists out of leaves and fruits, but it may be supplemented by the opportunistic consumption of seeds, nectar and pollen.

Feeding advice Red-ruffed lemur

Feed quantity per day

15-20% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 3.5 kg and eats 15% of its body weight, it will get

3.5 x 0.15 = 0.525 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

10% Concentrates
30% Leafy and cabbage vegetables
50% Other vegetables
10% Browse

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 0.525 kg = 52.5 g concentrates
0.3 x 0.525 kg = 157.5 g leafy and cabbage vegetables
0.5 x 0.525 kg = 262.5 g other vegetables
0.1 x 0.525 kg = 52.5 g browse

Diet suggestions

Not recommended

Fruits
Iron rich products

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least three feeding moments per day.
Although present in their natural diet, feeding fruits might lead to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut because of high sugar levels in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Vitamin C supplementation is not required since it can be synthesized in their body.
Supplement a diverse selection of vegetables (read more about differences between vegetables).
Provide less palatable food in the morning, when hunger is greatest.
Feeding in bowls is not recommended.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed. Examples can be feeding puzzles, tubes, hanging boxes and/ or scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Obesity
Periarticular hyperostosis
Diabetes mellitus
Reproductive failure
Iron storage
Dental problems

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

DK Leaf-eater Basic

DK Leaf-eater S

Primate Leaf eater (cold pressed)

Birch leaves - 10-20 kg bag

Willow frozen - ca. 300 kg

Marloes van Steendelaar

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