The most striking feature of this primate endemic to Madagascar is its long tail of black and white rings, which can measure 60 cm in length. It has gray fur, a white belly, a dark muzzle and black spots around the eyes. They are arboreal and terrestrial animals, although they spend most of their time on the ground, being active mainly in the morning.

The ring-tailed lemur is one of the most territorial lemurs that exists, marking its space through the smell it gives off by rubbing its tail against dark glands located on the inside of the forearm. Shaking the tail disperses the smell. It lives in social groups of between 6 and 24 individuals, where the female always dominates the male. The babies usually spend about two weeks after birth clinging to the mother's belly, then they move to the mother's back. Group members communicate using different vocalizations to warn of potential predators or to maintain group cohesion.

It is a threatened species. Its conservation status is in danger, mainly due to the loss of its habitat due to deforestation and human settlements. There are programs to protect natural habitats and captive breeding that try to solve this problem.