The red slender loris can only be found in the south-western portion of Sri Lanka. They prefer lowland rainforests, tropical rainforests, and inter-monsoon forests. There are 2 known subspecies: L. t. nycticeboides and L. t. tardigradus. Sadly, these beautiful creatures are threatened by habitat loss at the hands of residential and commercial developments and the logging industry; hunting; trapping; and ecosystem modifications. They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN, with only an estimated 1,500 wild individuals remaining as of 2015. So, with an ever-decreasing population, that number is likely far lower.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Loris tardigradus
Weight: Up to 13 ounces
Length: Up to 10 inches
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Like all known lorises, these critters are nocturnal (active at night).
2.) Red slender lorises are strepsirrhine primates (a suborder of primates that includes the lemuriform primates, which comprise lemurs of Madagascar, galagos & pottos from Africa, as well as the lorises from India and southeast Asia).
3.) Lorises are arboreal (spend most or all of their lives in trees).
4.) They are social and gather into small colonies where they spend their nights grooming each other and searching for food.
5.) These critters sleep in hollowed out trees, gnarled branches, or just curled up on a branch.
But wait, there’s more on the red slender loris!
6.) Females rank higher than males in their social hierarchy.
7.) Communication takes place via scent marking with urine.
Did you know…?
Red slender lorises are not capable of jumping. So they reach from branch to branch while navigating their arboreal habitat.
8.) If faced with a predator or general threat, they will remain perfectly still. If this doesn’t do the trick, they will growl at the threat and emit a smelly odor from their armpits, while staring down the threat.
9.) Lizards, mice, small rats, fruit, leaves, buds, and bird eggs are all consumed, with insects being their favorite.
10.) It is presumed that their mating system is polygynandrous (promiscuous – both males and females having multiple partners.
But wait, there’s still more on the red slender loris!
11.) Mating season takes place up to 2 times per year from May – December.
12.) Females undergo up to a 175 day gestation (pregnancy) that yields up to 2 infants.
Did you know…?
Slow lorises have a venomous bite due to a toxin that is produced via licking a gland on their inner elbow. This gland is called the brachial organ. Saliva from the slow loris is necessary in order to activate the secretion from the arm gland.
13.) Infants are weaned at around 185 days.
14.) In the Dutch language, loris translates to “clown.” It is assumed that this is due to their clown-like faces.
15.) While normally quiet, they can produce sounds of chitters, whistles, growls, “krik” calls, screams, and “zic” calls.
But wait, there’s still a little more on the red slender loris!
16.) While sleeping, they will curl into a tight ball and place their head between their legs.
17.) An envenomated bite can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans and other predators.
18.) And contrary to the popular video of a loris being tickled and people finding that cute. Being tickled is actually torturous to a loris.
Now a Short Red Slender Loris Video!
This video talks about slender lorises in general.
Be sure to share & comment below! Also, check out the Critter Science YouTube channel. Videos added regularly!
Want to suggest a critter for me to write about? Let me know here.
