The Red-fronted lemur is medium-sized lemur with a long tail, the red-fronted lemur (Eulemur rufifrons) differs in appearance between the sexes. Although the male and female don’t differ in size, the male red-fronted lemur exhibits a gray to grey-brown coat with a bushy reddish-brown crown on the head, while the female has a reddish-brown coat and a dark crown.

Both sexes have paler underparts, white patches above the eyes, and a black muzzle, often with a dark line extending up onto the crown.

The ears of the red-fronted lemur are not prominent, and its eyes are usually orange-red. All infant red-fronted lemurs show male colouration for the first three to four months of life.

Until recently, the red-fronted lemur was considered to be a secondary name for the red-fronted brown lemur (Eulemur rufus), which was itself previously considered to be a subspecies of the brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus). However, evidence now strongly suggests that the red-fronted lemur is a distinct species.