twins appear to be running in a family in the New Zealand Zoo, where four pairs of ring-tailed lemurs twins were recently born. Lisa Ridley, a primate keeper at
, said the zoo received a total of eight babies: four at the end of August, two in September and two in early October.
Ridley said they are all in different developmental stages and some are trying foods like peas, corn and bananas.
"It won't take long, they'll play and jump together," she told USA Today on Tuesday afternoon.
Ridley said moms usually put their kids in front of the first two weeks. The little kids then ride on the mother's back; once they are stoked, they will usually be weaned in about five months.
Endangered species
According to International Union for Conservation of Nature, ring-tailed lemurs or lemurs cats are endangered, and the zoo is part of the Ring-tailed lemur population program.
The twins have the same father, Zeus . Their mother was visiting Volana, Ferana, Maussi and Ravioli for the first time.
Ridley said their mothers were taken to the zoo in April 2021, and Zeus arrived earlier this year “just in the breeding season.”
She said they all entered the zoo display along with other ring-tailed lemurs.
They began to explore, jumping from their mother to the ground, on branches, on grass, and even on their father Zeus.
Young children still hold on to their mother.
Is it common for lemurs to have twins like this?
According to Ridley, having twins is "quite common" for ring-tailed lemurs.
This species can be found in Madagascar south and southwest and usually lives in open areas and forests.
They are matrilineal species, which means girls run their own world.
Ridley said they moved together in the form of a "mob", usually sitting in a yoga position, with their belly stretched towards the sun, arms and legs, and then began to forage.
Ridley said that each ring-tailed lemur has exactly 13 alternating black and white rings on its tail.
She said there may be more babies in the Wellington Zoo, but this will not happen until the next breeding season.
