Black lemurs are gregarious, polygamous and travel through the treetops in noisy bands of 12 to 15, eating, sleeping and vocalizing together. They are able to jump up to 24 feet, and their quick arboreal movements have been compared to the flight of birds. If chased for a period of time they will change tactics to elude their pursuer, and may suddenly drop from a tree branch into a ground thicket to elude capture, then climb back into a treetop with great speed. They are most active in the morning and evening. The black lemur screams to denote territories.
Black lemurs are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal matter.
In the zoo they are fed monkey chow, dog chow, hau leaves, bananas, apples and oranges. After a gestation period of about 135 days, a single offspring is born. The young are grayish-black with a thin coat of hair. The entire group helps care for and play with the young. Young lemurs first begin to climb at about three weeks, and are usually independent by six months.