Slender loris
The slender loris is a small, nocturnal primate found only in the tropical rainforests of Southern India and Sri Lanka. They are able to live in wet and dry forests, as well as lowland and highland forests. They prefer thick, thorny vegetation wherein they can easily escape predators and find the large assortment of insects that is the mainstay of their diet. The Indian government has laws protecting the slender loris, but its effect is difficult to gage.
“Loris” comes from an old Dutch word, “loeris,” which means simpleton or clown.
A single offspring is born after a gestation period of about 6 months. At birth the young loris is covered with hair, and achieves independence from its mother after about a year.
The slender loris is tail-less, with soft dense fur that is brown in color, with the underside silver-gray. The nose is pointed and the eyes are very large. The ears are round and prominent and hairless at the edge. The hands and feet are both good at grasping with the thumbs and big toes opposable. There are small flat nails on all digits except the second toe, which is reduced and has a specialized grooming claw. Length of head and body about 10 in; weight up to 12.3 oz.
