All red-fronted brown lemurs have pale patches over their eyes. Both males and females are brown to dark-gray with light beards and dark faces. Generally, this subspecies is dark brown with a lighter underside. Males have a white or cream colored head, ears and beard. Males are brownish-gray with a dark stripe down the back, a dark tail and tail tip, and a lighter underside.
Females have a reddish to brown coat and a gray face.
They can also be distinguished from the other subspecies by their fur. Both sexes are dark brown with a lighter underside. This species is largely folivorous. It also eats flowers, fruit, and bark. The diet of Eulemur fulvus varies slightly between subspecies and populations.