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Ring-tailed lemurs use smells to mark their territory, too. T ey live in troops of as many as 30 lemurs. Each troop needs trees to nest in. T ey need fruit, flowers, and tree bark to eat. T ey don’t want to share their space and food. So they rub their wrists on trees. It may


look like they’re scratching an itch. Instead, they’re leaving a message. Glands in their wrists make a smelly substance. Rubbing it on the trees tells other lemurs to stay away.


Male lemurs also use smells to fight. T ey rub their wrists on their bushy tails. T at makes their tails smell. T en they face off . Two lemurs circle one another. T ey flick


their tails. T at flings the smell into the air. T e smell sends messages like “I’m the best!” and “Give up, now!” It’s a little like hurling insults. T is stink fight can last up to an hour. Finally, one male gives up. Maybe he wasn’t stinky enough.


A lemur rubs a smell on his tail. He’s getting ready for a stink fi ght.


November–December 2013 7


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