This species prefers semi-deciduous dry lowland and mid-altitude forest, but may be found in practically all forest types from sea level to 1400 m, including high-altitude tropical moist forest and wooded savannah, as well as in agricultural areas (Hending et al. 2018). It is reported to inhabit all levels of the forest, but is most likely to be found in lianas, thick cover and on terminal branches. It also readily descends to the ground to travel, or to eat fallen fruit or lick earth (Petter et al. 1977). It can even be seen delicately moving through some of the knife-edged karst tsingys that occur within its range, especially in the Ankarana region. The diet consists mainly of fruits (Reuter 2015), supplemented with young leaves, flowers, and pollen; insects and soil are also eaten on occasion. The animals tend to rely heavily on 10–20% of the nearly 100 plant species it exploits, and feeds more on flowers during the dry season than at other times of the year. This species is known to raid farms and plantations. Females have a 34 day reproductive cycle, with the vulva being closed when not in oestrus. In Ankarana and Montagne d' Ambre, mating occurs in late May and early June, and births take place from mid-September through October. The gestation period is 125 days (Kappeler 1987). One or two young are born, each weighing approximately 60 grams. Weaning occurs at 6–7 months. Both males and females reach sexual maturity at about 20 months. Home range size is approximately 10–15 ha (Freed 1996). Group size does not appear to differ significantly between habitat types (Gudiel et al. 2017), the average group being five or six and the maximum size about 15 individuals. Large multi-male / multi-female groups often split into foraging subgroups of 2–4 individuals, with solitary individuals sometimes observed. The Crowned Lemur is one of only three Eulemur species that show features of female dominance (Kappeler 1993).

This species is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Eulemur coronatus is known to occur in two national parks (Ankarana and Montagne d' Ambre), two special reserves (Analamerana and Forêt d' Ambre) and in the forests of Daraina (Loky-Manambato Protected Area). However, there is evidence that the species is hunted at least occasionally in the Ankarana National Park (Gilles and Reuter 2014) and in the Loky-Manambato Protected Area (B. Semel pers. comm. 2018). As of 2009, there were approximately 100 Crowned Lemurs in zoological collections worldwide (ISIS 2009).