Blog 1: Bengal Slow Loris

 

Intro to the Loris

Primates are incredible creatures with diverse behaviors, taxonomy and morphology. There are common species of primate that a majority of people know, these are often the ones that are most closely related to Humans. These species include apes like chimpanzees, and monkeys like the macaque. This is not the limit of primate species. Primates also include lemurs and the subject of this blog, the slow loris. 

Lemurs and lorises are primates that have what is referred to as primitive characteristics, this does not mean that they are less evolved than other primates, but they simply share more traits than other species with the earliest ancestors of the primates. This can be seen in the primate taxonomic tree, lemurs and lorises are by themselves in the Strepsirrhine suborder while all other primates are in the Haplorrhine suborder. Many species of Strepsirrhine are also much smaller than many of the other primates that many people would initially imagine when thinking about primates. 

Primate taxonomy. By Tori Saneda


Physical Traits and Basic Behavior

There are many species of slow loris, but this blog focuses on the Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis).  A species of primate native to southern Asia including India, and mainland China. The Bengal slow loris is a member of the suborder Strepsirrhine, the Infraorder Lorisiformes. This species is primarily nocturnal operating high in the trees and sleeping during the day. They are a small species of primate weighing .9 to 1.8 kilograms or two to four pounds.  

They are an arboreal species of primate spending their lives in the trees. They are unique unlike other species of arboreal primates as they are completely unable to leap. Instead, they use their long limbs and grasping hands and feet in order to reach across to other branches and trees. The Bengal slow loris is the largest species of loris. This species of loris does have a tail, though it is hard to see because it is very small. Like other species in the Strepsirrhines they have two tongues. They use these tongues to lap up gum and nectar.  

The Bengal slow loris is an omnivorous species, though it uses its very large eyes and long limbs to its advantage as a visual hunter. This species does also use its teeth to gnaw into tree bark and consume the gum inside of the trees.  

Like most species of nocturnal primates, the Bengal slow loris is primarily solitary, though their habitat does occasionally overlap with one another. Bengal slow loris’ reach sexual maturity at about 16 months to 1 year of age. This is also typically the time when they will separate from their mothers. Along with other species of loris the Bengal slow loris typically gives birth to one baby, though it also has the ability to produce twins.  

Bengal slow loris by Joel Sartore/National Geographic




Conservation and Risks

Due to its large eyes and flat face many people find this species cute or interesting, and this results in them being in high demand for the illegal pet trade. “Over large areas of their range, slow lorises are collected as pets and for illegal folk medicine.” (Schulze & Groves 2004; Nekaris & Jaffe 2007) Folk medicine they are often poached and harvested in order to use their parts in medicines and alcohol. They do not make a good pet species and are not suitable to be in captivity. All species of loris including the Bengal slow loris are endangered. There are many other threats to the Bengal slow loris’ population including deforestation causing mass loss of habitat. They also often die in efforts to cross major and minor road systems. There are efforts to save these species including cracking down on the illegal pet trade and conservation of the habitat they call their homes.  


Resources and Works Cited

Hassan, Al-Razi, et al. Mortality of Primates Due to Roads and Power Lines in Two Forest Patches in Bangladesh, 2019, www.proquest.com/docview/2310849030?accountid=12706&parentSessionId=W9y5J1KTbgIG%2B370JcW7%2Fz6hieE1IJCjNm%2FPDiyJEXM%3D&pq-origsite=primo&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals.

Nekaris. “Extreme Primates: Ecology and Evolution of Asian Lorises.” Login - CAS – Central Authentication Service, 2014, onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.nau.edu/doi/full/10.1002%2Fevan.21425.

Oliver, Katie. “Slow Loris Density in a Fragmented, Disturbed Dry Forest, North-East Thailand.” Login - CAS – Central Authentication Service, 2019, onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.nau.edu/doi/full/10.1002/ajp.22957.

“Slow Loris.” Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, 2009, primate.wisc.edu/primate-info-net/pin-factsheets/pin-factsheet-slow-loris/#evolution-ecology.

Strier, Karen B. Primate Behavioral Ecology. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021. 

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