Lifespan
16-18 years in the wild & up to 33 years under human care
Egg Splash Water Play Area will be closed on 16 Jul 2024 for regular maintenance.
The first Predators on Wings presentation on 21 July 2024, Sun will be at 11:30am.
16-18 years in the wild & up to 33 years under human care
In the wild, ring-tails live in matriarchal social groups of up to 30 individuals. Females stay with their troop their whole lives. Hierarchy is typically established in their youth through play-fighting. Males are completely dominated by the females - even the lowliest female is superior to the highest-ranked male.
During mating season, males contest for female attention through ‘stink fights’. Coating their tails with smelly gland secretions, they wave them high in the air, each trying to out-stink rival males.
Males move between troops every 2-5 years. Many leave their natal troop as subadults to join other groups. They must fight their way to the top, otherwise lowly-ranked males get smacked around a lot.
Low-ranking males often end up hanging around the periphery of their troop to avoid being picked on. But these outliers risk getting picked off by predators easily. Studies show that these males use the gift of the gab to keep within the good graces of their group.
They rely on two sounds: a moan to stay in touch and a ‘hmm’ sound to signal friendliness towards more tolerant troop members.
Many rainforest animals are threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and the illegal wildlife trade.
Visit Mandai Nature for more information on projects that we support, and to find out how you can get involved too.
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Unknown risk of extinction
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity