Loris (redirected from slow lorises)

loris, name for slow-moving, nocturnal, arboreal primates of the family Lorisidae, found in India, Sri Lanka, and SE Asia. Lorises have round heads, large round eyes, and furry bodies. They have no tails, and their index fingers are vestigial. Lorises move hand over hand through the trees, gripping the branches firmly with hands and feet; they feed on insects and vegetable matter. Best known are the slender loris (Loris tardigradus), with an 8-in.-long (20-cm) body and very thin legs, and the slow loris (Nycticebus coucang), with a 16-in.-long (40-cm) body and short, thick legs. The slow loris has pale brownish fur with a darker dorsal stripe. African members of the loris family are the potto (Perodicticus potto), which has a stumpy tail, the angwantibo (Arctocebus calabarensis), characterized by its pointed face, and the bush babies, or galagos, a distinctive group of small, swift-moving animals. Lorises are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Primates, family Lorisidae.

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loris

Any of three species of nocturnal, arboreal primates in the family Lorisidae. Lorises have soft gray or brown fur, huge eyes encircled by dark patches, and no tail. They move slowly and often hang by their feet, leaving their hands free to grasp branches or food. The slender loris (Loris tardigradus) of India and Sri Lanka is 8–10 in. (20–25 cm) long; it eats insects and small animals. The slow lorises (genus Nycticebus) of South Asia and the Malay Peninsula eat insects, small animals, fruit, and vegetation. Nycticebus pygmaeus is about 8 in. (20 cm) long; N. coucang is 10.5–15 in. (27–38 cm) long. Habitat degradation and hunting have seriously depleted loris populations.

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loris [′lȯr·əs]

(vertebrate zoology)

Either of two slow-moving, nocturnal, arboreal primates included in the family Lorisidae: the slender loris (Loris tardigradus) and slow loris (Nycticebus coucang).

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Loris 

any one animal of two genera of Prosimii of the family Lorisidae. The slender loris (Loris tardigradus) is the only species of the genus Loris. The body measures 20-25 cm, and the weight is 85-350 g. The fur is thick and soft, gray or reddish brown in color. The limbs are slender and nearly equal in length. The second digit of the hand is reduced. There is no tail, and the eyes are very large.

Lorises are distributed in Southeast Asia (Hindustan and the island of Sri Lanka). The genus Nycticebus is represented by two species: the slow loris (N. coucang), with a body measuring 30-38 cm, and N. pygmaeus, with a body measuring 18-21 cm. The animal’s tail is short and hidden in the thick fur. The coloration is brownish, reddish, or gray. Nycticebus is distributed in Southeast Asia (Hindustan, Indochina, Malacca, and on some islands of the Malay Archipelago). All lorises live in forests on trees and are found singly or in pairs. They are nocturnal, and their movements are very slow. Lorises feed chiefly on insects, small lizards and birds, and fruits. The young are born at various times of the year (for example, on the island of Sri Lanka they are born in April or May and November or December). Lorises are rarely kept in captivity.

REFERENCES

Zhizn’ zhivotnykh, vol. 6. Moscow, 1971.
Napier, J., and P. Napier. A Handbook of Living Primates. London-New York, 1967.

M. F. NESTURKH