Morphology & Anatomy
A small-bodied primate characterized by a slender build and long limbs. Their large forward-facing eyes are perfectly adapted for nocturnal vision.
- Avg Length22 - 24 cm
- Male Weight275 - 295 g
- Female Weight260 - 273 g
- Dorsal PelageBuff-grey with dark stripe
- Ventral SideWhite or Pale
Average Length
Physical Adaptations
The Slender Loris possesses a unique toothcomb and specialized grooming claw for social grooming and personal hygiene. Their moist rhinarium enhances olfactory communication in the forest canopy.
Movement Dynamics
Elongated, slender limbs facilitate precise quadrupedal climbing through fine branches. Unlike other primates, they move with a slow, deliberate 'hand-over-hand' motion that avoids detection.
What's on the Loris Menu
Lorises love to eat insects and other tiny creatures in the trees. By eating these insects, they help keep the forest healthy. They also act like natural pest controllers, helping farmers by reducing insects that harm crops.
Spiders
Crickets
Wood resins/gums
Lizards and Geckos
Termites
Red ants
Know Their Cousins in India
India is home to two kinds of Slender Lorises and one Slow Loris – all are nocturnal primates, but they live in different parts of the country!
Mysore Slender Loris
(Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus)
The mysore slender loris has a greyish brown coat, with narrow circumocular patches on its face. An average adult weighs around 275grams. They occur in higher abundance in Eastern Ghats and eastern fringes of Western Ghats, also occupy the dry forest, scrublands and around these areas.
Malabar Slender Loris
(Loris lydekkerianus malabaricus)
Malabar slender loris is comparatively smaller in size with reddish coat and large circumocular patches. Adults usually weigh around 180 grams. They are found in the western part of the Western Ghats, preferring moist evergreen forests with high canopy cover.
Bengal Slow Loris
(Nycticebus bengalensis)
Bengal Slow lorises are the largest of all of the slow lorises. They are heavier than all other loris species with a mass between one and two kg. Slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are the only known venomous primates, using a brachial gland saliva mixture that they can deliver by bite. They have thick, wooly fur with a white round head. They are found in forested areas of north eastern India and South-East Asia.