Loris

Loris denotes all those nocturnal, omnivorous slow-moving, large-eyed prosimian primates that belong to the family Lorisidae of South and Southeast Asia. A loris animal has vestigial digits and no tails. They live in dense vegetation in trees and are active mostly at night time. 

Lorises have more than 10 different species inhabiting scrub forests, tropical rainforest, semi-deciduous forests, suburban gardens, swamps, etc. They are found in southeast Asia, India, and Sri Lanka.

At one glance, these small cute furry primates with wide saucer-like eyes might look like innocent stuffed animals. Their glistening giant eyes might assure you of their hospitality, but do not be fooled by their guileless looks. These creatures can bite if threatened and prefer their own company. Moreover, they secrete highly toxic venom when threatened and can prove to be fatal if not treated properly. William Shakespeare had rightly said about these tiny creatures that “Though the slow loris is but little, it is fierce”.

To Get Details on the Family and Class of Loris Animal, refer to the List below:

• Kingdom - Animalia

• Family - Lorisidae (It has 9 genres and 25 species)

• Phylum - Chordata

• Subphylum - Vertebrata

• Order - Primates

• Superclass - Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates)

• Subclass - Theria, Therian mammals

• Genus - Loris

• Species - Loris lydekkerianus (gray slender loris), Loris tardigradus (slender loris)

• Genus - Nycticebus

• Species - Nycticebus bancanus (Bangka slow loris), N. bengalensis (Bengal slow loris), N. borneanus (Bornean slow loris), N. coucang (Sunda slow loris), N. javanicus (Javan slow loris), N. Kayan (Kayan River slow loris), N. menagensis (Philippine slow loris), †? N. linglom (fossil, Miocene), and N. pygmaeus (Pygmy slow loris)

• Biogeographic Region - Oriental

• Mating Season - Twice a year (from April to May and October to November)

• Gestation Period - 166 to 169 days.

• The Average Lifespan in the Wild - 12 to 15 years

• The average lifespan in captivity - 15 to 20 years

• Sexual Maturity Age - Females 10 months, Males one year.

Let us get to know loris' meaning by delving into their physical characteristics, their food preferences, the different species of loris animal, some interesting facts about loris, and other valuable information on this tiny cute-looking primate.

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Characteristics of a Loris and Loris Meaning

The word “Loris” comes from the Dutch word “loeris”, which means a clown that aptly depicts a loris's distinctive facial markings. In 1891, the American geologist Dean Conant Worcester described a slow loris as a creature that has the “face of a bear, moves like a sloth, and has the hands of a monkey”.

Slender Loris is a small animal that is around 25 cm in length and has thin and long arms. Their weight is approximately 275 grams. Lorises prefer to stay in bamboo clumps, thorny and thick bushes. In this way, they can evade predators and find insects that are their main food. They are found mostly in deciduous forests and tropical scrubs and along the dense hedgerow plantations around Sri Lanka and southern parts of India. 

Some of Their Prominent Features are:

• They have solid bodies and just a stump of a tail under their dense fur.

• Their bodies are covered with thick fur. The color of fur may vary between many different hues like grey, yellow, brown, red, golden, or silver.

• The weight of loris differs from species to species. A Bengal slow loris can weigh around 2100 grams, while a Bornean slow loris weighs a mere 265 grams. 

• The length of loris (head and body combined) measures between 7 to 15 inches or 18 to 38 cm. The length varies again based on the species.

• They have furry, round heads with small ears.

• The most prominent feature of a loris is their forward-facing eyes with huge rings around them, which gives them stereo vision. Their eye contains something called “tapetum lucidum” which is a light-reflecting surface situated behind the retina. This gives them better and clear vision even in the dark. It also gives them binocular vision and depth perception. 

• Apart from their distinguished eye features, Loris also has an exceptional sense of smell which lets them detect prey from long distances.

• Lorises eat both vegetarian and meat meals (omnivorous). Their diet mostly consists of slugs, insects, small mammals, leaves, fruits, and different kinds of eggs.

• Lorises are nocturnal animals, and they are active during the night. They spend most of their time on trees walking around slowly and stealthily. They lie motionless when they are waiting for their prey to appear.

• As in the case of human fingers, the thumb is opposed to other fingers in Lorises, i.e. the thumb is not aligned with the rest of the fingers. This structure of their hands allows them to grip branches as they walk or to hold prey.

• Lorises employ quadrupedalism, i.e. usage of all four extremities for locomotion. Their front and hind limbs are almost of the same size.

• Lorises have a strong grip on their feet and can hang on to tree branches for hours using their feet while using their hands to eat.

• Lorises usually live in the branches of hardwood and bamboo forests and sleep in its crevices or hollows during the day.

• Like other primates, Lorises have nails on their fingers and toes (their second toe has a claw).

• Lorises do not like to walk on the ground and prefer canopies of closed trees to have an easy walk.

• Lorises like to eat tree sap, and they do so by drilling holes in the bark of trees and extracting the sap of the tree with their sharp teeth.

• A loris moves slowly, but when threatened, they can climb up a tree pretty fast.

• Lorises are social during dusk and dawn, and they either hunt alone or in pairs.

• Lorises have a strange habit of washing their face and limbs with urine which is assumed to soothe them or defend them against the toxic insects they eat.

• For sleeping during the day, Lorises have a particular curling position. They form a ball by placing their head between their legs. Usually a solitary creature, Lorises sometimes sleep in groups.

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• Loris is the only primate that is poisonous. It has a patch under its elbow which is full of venom and is used as a protection against predators. When lorises face danger they raise their arms and lick their elbows to cover their teeth with poison and they deliver the venom by biting its enemy.

• Female lorises usually give birth to only 1 baby and a maximum of 2 babies.

• To protect their offspring from enemies, mother loris covers its baby with venom. Though at times this is not enough since orangutans can easily eat off the venom.

Types of Slow Lorises 

There are a total of 8 types of slow lorises found across South and Southeast Asia. Philippines, Northeast India, Yunnan province of China, and the island of Java. All the varieties of slow lorises are marked as either “endangered” or “vulnerable” species as habitat loss, and the wildlife trade has threatened their existence considerably. Let us take a look at all the 8 types outlined below:

• Bangka Slow Loris - Nycticebus bancanus or Bangka slow lorises are found in the southwestern Bornean island of Borneo. The striking feature of this animal is its crimson-red colored fur on its back and light-colored facial features. They are arboreal and nocturnal in nature and feed on nectar, insects, tree gum, fruits, etc. They have a toxic bite. The Bangka slow loris has been deemed “vulnerable” by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Illegal hunting and loss of habitat have threatened the survival of this species.

• Bengal Slow Loris - Also called Nycticebus bengalensis, the Bengal slow loris is native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina region. They can be found both in deciduous as well as evergreen forests around this range. This species of slow loris is the largest in size and has the most extensive range compared to all other slow lorises. The length of a Bengal loris from head to tail could be anywhere between 26 to 38 cm. The toxin secreted by this loris has a chemical combination that is different from other slow lorises. Bengal slow lorises eat tree saps, fruits, nectar, snails, gum, etc. They are arboreal and nocturnal in nature. This species appears in the red list of IUCN under the “vulnerable” category” and is locally extinct in many regions. The population of this species has been severely affected by illegal logging and poaching in its habitat.

• Bornean Slow Loris - The Bornean slow loris is also known as Nycticebus borneanus and is native to Borneo in Indonesia. The distinguishing features of this slow loris species comprise unique markings on the face along with dark and contrasting facial features. They have similar food habits as mentioned above about other types of slow lorises. They are also arboreal and nocturnal with a toxic bite. Illegal wildlife trade and loss of habitat have also put this breed in the “vulnerable” classification.

• Sunda Slow Loris - Nycticebus coucang or Sunda slow loris also goes by the name of greater slow loris. They are found in the forests of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. This species prefers to inhabit the evergreen forests in this range. They feed on arthropods, nectar, tree sap, etc. Their length (from head to tail) ranges between 27 to 38 cm. These lorises have a very low metabolic rate and are solitary by nature. This species is also marked under “vulnerable” classification by IUCN due to habitat loss.

• Java Slow Loris - Its scientific name is Nycticebus javanicus and belongs to the islands of Indonesia and Java. In these ranges, these lorises inhabit primary and secondary forest habitats. A remarkable feature of this species is the presence of a white diamond-like pattern on its forehead. Their length is around 293 mm from head to tail. They are omnivores and feed on fruits, tree gums, lizards, eggs, etc. Though usually a solitary creature, the Java slow Lorises reside in small groups also at times. This species of slow loris is the most endangered one and has appeared in the 2010 list of “The world’s 25 most endangered Primates”. Regardless of many protective measures in place, this species is continually being poached for traditional medicines and being captured for the exotic pet trade. IUCN has classified it as “Critically endangered”.

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• Kayan River Slow Loris - Nycticebus Kayan is named after the Kayan river, flowing through Borneo island of Indonesia, which is the habitat of this species of slow loris. These lorises have facial markings in striped patterns with highly contrasting white and black facial features. This species has similar food habits as other slow lorises described above. IUCN has put this species in the “Vulnerable” category due to habitat loss and wildlife trade.

• Philippine Slow Loris - Nycticebus menagensis or Philippine slow lorises are native to Sulu Archipelago, Indonesia, Philippines, and Borneo. This species is one of the smallest ones as compared to other slow lorises. One can easily distinguish this slow loris from its counterparts due to its pale red to golden fur. It is difficult to locate this arboreal and nocturnal creature. It is omnivorous, but its food habits are more inclined towards benign insectivorous. Philippine slow lorises are classified as “vulnerable” by the IUCN.

• Pygmy Slow Loris - The scientific name of Pygmy slow loris is Nycticebus pygmaeus and is found in forests that are on the east side of the Mekong river. This species ranges from China, Cambodia, Vietnam, to Laos. These lorises can live in a wide variety of habitats like evergreen and semi-evergreen forests and also tropical dry forests. A Pygmy slow loris likes to stay in small groups with their offspring. Its length ranges between 19 to 23 cm with an extremely short tail. They eat insects, fruits, nectar, etc. Due to habitat destruction, illegal pet trade, and hunting, IUCN has listed this species in the “Vulnerable” category.