Social Behavior
Two golden-crowned sifakas sniff each other in greeting. Click image for larger version.
Like all sifakas, the golden-crowned are strictly diurnal, becoming active after dawn and retiring for the evening well before the sun has set. Group size ranges from three to ten animals, although an average group will number five or six. Although groups often contain more than one adult animal of each sex, groups with more than one successfully breeding female have not been observed in the wild. During the mating season, males will migrate from group to group, but females will remain in the same group their entire lives. These sifaka defend territories that range in size from 6-12 hectares, and the animals will range greater distances in the dry season when quality food is more difficult to come by.