Sifakas are lemurs that live in Madagascar's forests and jungles. They are herbivorous, eating leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruit. Although diurnal, they spend much of the day sleeping in the sun, stretched out on tree branches. When active, they cling to vertical trunks and branches. They are exceptional leapers, jumping from tree to tree. they maintain a vertical posture in their leaps, and twist in midair to face their target branch. On the ground, their movement is awkward as they progress by a series of sideways bipedal jumps while holding their arms up for balance. Infants hold tightly to their mother's belly, as they grow older they are carried on her back.
Sifakas live in groups ranging from pairs to up to a dozen individuals. Some groups have only one male, others have multiple males. The females provide the leadership, and are dominant with priority in feeding. Their home range is marked by secretions from their scent glands. Depending on species, interactions between bands may be amicable, involve mutual avoidance, or be violently territorial although even territorial species tolerate non-sifakas.
Sifakas have long tails and bare black faces with orange eyes. Their long, silky fur may be white, brown, or black. Depending on the species, average mass may vary between 3 and 6 kg.