The large body is covered with thick black and white fur. The pattern varies greatly. Some further differentiation of subspecies may result from further research. Ruffed lemurs lack some of the fluid movement of other lemurs. Their steps and leaps seem more wary.
Ruffed lemurs emit a loud barking vocalization for territorial announcement.
They are widely hunted and trapped as a meat source. They move about the canopy running along larger limbs and jumping from one tree to another. Researchers report group size of ruffed lemurs ranging from 2-6 individuals up to 16 for a single group. Females seem to play the greatest role in the group and the responsibility of defense lies with them. Reproduction among ruffed lemurs is considerably different from other lemur species.