Interactions within the group may be aggressive, with females and males having their own hierarchy. The male hierarchy breaks down during the breeding season. The ring-tail territories are fairly large, ranging from 15 to 50 some acres, depending on food availability. The breeding season is only about 2 weeks long, with each female only in estrous about one day. Gestation is about 130 days.
Newborn eyes are blue, taking a few months to turn the brilliant yellow.
The young are raised by the entire group. The young begin to climb at about 3 weeks and soon begin to feed, returning to the mother for nursing and to sleep. Although sexual maturity is reached by 18 months, it is another year before young males are developed enough and strong enough to take on a mature female. The average wild life-span is about 7 years. Endangered due to habitat destruction, at least 14 lemur species have become extinct, including a giant the size of an orangutan.