Fun Bengal Slow Loris Facts For Kids

The Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) is a small primate with a small round head, tail, ears, and forward-facing eyes. It lives in rainforests and scrubs, and its forest range includes countries in southeastern Asia such as Cambodia, Vietnam, India, China, and Bangladesh. Thus, its geographic range is wider than any other slow loris.

This species of primates secrete a toxic substance from their sweat glands, which, when licked, gets activated because of the saliva and makes their bites poisonous. As a result, they are over-hunted for food, pet trade, traditional medicine, and sport.

Here, we have many amazing and interesting facts about Bengal slow loris that you will enjoy. So let's take a look at these facts and information, and if you enjoy these, do read our articles on the woolly monkey and the Australian retriever.

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Bengal Slow Loris Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Bengal slow loris?

The Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) is a slow loris species of primates.

What class of animal does a Bengal slow loris belong to?

The Bengal slow loris is a primate that belongs to the Mammalia class.

How many Bengal slow loris are there in the world?

In 1992, around 16,000-17,000 individuals were alive, but their population has decreased over time. It is estimated that there are 2000 or fewer individuals alive right now. It is illegal to trade them.

Where does a Bengal slow loris live?

The Bengal slow loris lives in tropical, sub-tropical rainforests, evergreen, and semi-evergreen forests. Its geographic range is spread across Southeast Asia. They are found in northeastern India in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indochina.

What is a Bengal slow loris's habitat?

Bengal slow lorises are arboreal animals that live on trees. Their preferred habitat is tropical, sub-tropical rainforest, and evergreen, semi-evergreen forest ranges filled with dense tree and forest edges. They live in tree holes.

Who does a Bengal slow loris live with?

Bengal slow lorises usually live in family groups. Some might live alone, but they are quite social and live with others. They even get along with other species of loris, such as the pygmy slow loris. They are known to live on the same tree and only a few meters away from pygmy slow lorises (Nycticebus pygmaeus).

How long does a Bengal slow loris live?

Bengal slow lorises have a long lifespan. They can live for 15 years in the wild, while in captivity, they can live for 20 years. Their lifespan is affected by various factors in the forest, such as predation or habitat loss.

How do they reproduce?

In Bengal slow lorises, females attract males by using combined methods of whistles and urine markings. If a male reacts, females verify its reaction by turning their head. Usually, males respond by sniffing the urine markings and whistle back, and approach the female. Females mate with multiple males during their estrus period, which lasts for 37-54 days.

They give birth in around 176-198 days to a single infant in a year and take care of it. Females can give birth twice a year to get pregnant when their offspring is six months old.

The young ones develop their brachial gland in about six weeks. They can feed by themselves and are born with their eyes open and covered in fur.

What is their conservation status?

Bengal slow lorises are an Endangered species, and their conservation is vital. There are less than 2000 individuals alive globally and are being kept in protected areas by governments in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. According to the IUCN Red List, they are Endangered.

Bengal Slow Loris Fun Facts

What do Bengal slow lorises look like?

Bengal slow lorises have thick and wooly fur. They have a white-colored round head, and their neck and bellies are also white. They have a brow-gray dorsal side and a dark stripe run on their back which is also brown.

They have forward-facing eyes, short ears, and a vestige tail which is also short. They have opposable thumbs that give them a pincer-like grip and make up for their short tail. Their hands are made for climbing the trees.

How cute are they?

Bengal slow lorises are really cute and sweet animals. They are harmless and lazy animals that do not attack humans. Their round eyes and small head make them adorable, and their small size makes them cuter.

How do they communicate?

The Bengal slow loris female uses whistles and urine markings to communicate and attract males for mating. They are nocturnal animals that use their stereoscopic eyes to see at night. Young ones use chitters and click to communicate with their mother.

How big is a Bengal slow loris?

Bengal slow lorises are about 10-15 in (26-38 cm) in length. They are the largest of the loris species. They are a bit bigger than Sunda slow loris (Nycticebus coucang). They feed on small birds and reptiles. Their relative, the slender loris, is also about 10 in (25 cm) long.

How fast can a Bengal slow loris run?

Bengal slow lorises, like their name says, are slow animals. They do not run very fast and are rather lazy. Even though they are small, they can travel up to 4.9 mi (8 km) in a single night. Their nocturnal nature helps them in traveling at night.

How much does a Bengal slow loris weigh?

As it is the largest among the slow loris species, Bengal slow lorises have a weight that ranges between 2.2-4.6 lb (1 and 2.1 kg). They are small and light creatures, and because of their light body, they can easily climb trees.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male and female primates of the Bengal slow loris species do not have any separate names. They appear similar to each other; the only way you can differentiate between males and females is by looking at their gonads.

What would you call a baby Bengal slow loris?

A baby Bengal slow loris does not have a specific name. Babies are precocial, meaning that they are developed when born. They can eat their food by themselves right after being born. Their body is covered with fur, and their eyes are open after birth.

What do they eat?

The diet of this species includes nectar, fruits, plant exudates, and bird eggs. In addition, these species prefer to eat gums and resins of plant species like flowering Bauhinia and liana vines. Apart from these food items, their diet also includes small birds and reptiles. Nectar comes second on the list of their favorite food.

How active are they?

They are lazy and spend most of their time on trees. They are nocturnal, so they usually make their moves at night. They can travel up to 4.9 mi (8 km) in a single night, but they are not very active as their name suggests.

Would they make a good pet?

Keeping a Bengal slow loris as a pet is illegal. They have the conservation status of Endangered species and are kept in protected areas. Illegal international trade is among few reasons for their Endangered conservation status. Other reasons are habitat destruction and being hunted down by predators.

Even if you get one, it is still not good to keep one as a pet as these primates' species prefer to live in dense forests, and their geographic range includes the evergreen forest range of India, China, and Vietnam.

Apart from that, they release toxic substances from their brachial gland, which causes an allergic reaction to humans when combined with saliva.

Even after all this, it is still illegal to perform their pet trade. Their conservation is vital.

Did you know...

Even though Bengal slow lorises are small, their home ranges vary in size. They can be as large as 35 football pitches. This is because they have a large distribution, and their range is widely spread among southeastern Asia. This distribution includes countries such as India, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

According to the IUCN Red List, this species is Endangered because of the high decline in the population of species and their entire range. This primate is nocturnal and is most active during the night.

It is illegal to perform their pet trade as there are few of them left.

The slow loris is a venomous animal whose bite can cause extreme pain, and if you irritate and corner it, it can be extremely lethal. There has been an instance where it has killed a human being too.

However, it isn't the most dangerous animal in the world. Humans are actually among the most dangerous animals in the world because of their greed and hunger for obtaining everything.

The young ones achieve sexual maturity by the age of one to one and a half years.

Slow lorises raise their arms above their head when they are about to mix saliva with the toxins they release using their branchial gland present inside of their elbows.

How did the slow loris get its name?

It is called 'slow loris' because it remains inactive during most of the day, moves during the night, and is a bit lazy. Another reason for the name is, when threatened, it becomes immobile and does not make any movement instead of running away.

How poisonous is a slow loris?

The slow loris is a venomous animal that can cause extreme pain through its bite. It releases a toxic substance through its brachial gland which, when mixed with saliva causes an allergic creation to humans and can even put them in anaphylactic shock.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our bordoodle facts and pitbull boxer facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Bengal slow loris coloring pages.