Fun Loris Facts For Kids

Do you love  primates and find lorises absolutely adorable? Then you are in the right place. These animals fall under the category of primates which includes the likes of monkeys and apes. So it can be said that Lorises are not apes or monkeys. These primates are mostly found in South and Southeast Asia. The most common types of lorises are the slender loris and the slow loris. Nycticebus is the scientific name of slow lorises which contains a wide number of species. These animals are predominantly found in, South Asian tropical forests.

These arboreal animals can be seen hanging from the branches of trees where they spend most of their time. They jump from one tree branch to another branch in search of food or to escape from predators. Both the slender loris and the slow lorises are forward-facing creatures that are nocturnal.

To know more about different kinds of lorises continue reading this article to the very end and also check out the ring-tailed lemur and the pygmy slow loris.

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What type of animal is a loris?

Lorises are a type of primate that usually live in forests and belong to the family of Lorisidae.

What class of animal does a loris belong to?

Loris belongs to the class Mammalia, genus Nycticebus, of the Animalia kingdom.

How many lorises are there in the world?

The exact number of lorises present in the world is unknown as there are about 25 species of loris that are categorized under nine different genera.

Where does a loris live?

Lorises are arboreal animals that are found extensively in the South Asian forests of the world. These include countries predominantly like India and Sri Lanka.

What is a loris's habitat?

The habitat of lorises is usually forests. Owing to their geographical locations, the forests include hot and humid rainforests, evergreen, and deciduous forests. These primates prefer staying in the trees.

Who do lorises live with?

Lorises are usually solitary animals and thus prefer staying alone. They come in contact with one another during the season of mating. Apart from these, Lorises are also known to form spatial groups where they interact among members of their own kind.

How long does a loris live?

The lifespan of lorises differs from one species to another. The average lifespan lies between 15-20 years both in the wild and in captivity. The slow loris has a lifespan of 20 years.

How do they reproduce?

The reproductive process of one loris species differs from one to another based on their mating season, ritual, litter size, and gestation period. In the case of slow lorises, the litter size usually ranges from one to three on average and has a gestation period of around six months.

What is their conservation status?

As there are 25 species, the conservation status for each species is also different from one another. These primates are basically surviving on the edge of extinction. The grey slender loris is Near Threatened, the Javan slow loris is Critically Endangered while the red slender loris (Loris tardigradus) is Endangered. Unfortunately, the populations of both the Javan slow loris and the red slender loris are still decreasing.

What do lorises look like?

Lorises are small in size and look no different from other primates. They usually have small, slender hands and feet. Lorises have gigantic eyes and usually have a thick coat of fur that is grey or brownish in color.

How cute are they?

Lorises are extremely cute animals and with their large googly eyes, they look extremely adorable.

How do they communicate?

Lorises usually communicate with one another in various ways. They can mark a place with their scent or by urinating to mark their territory. They are also known to call or whistle. Their whistles are usually high pitched while their calls are low-pitched.

How big is a loris?

The size of a loris depends on their respective length. On average, the size ranges between 7.1-15 in (18-38.1 cm). In comparison to a common marmoset, lorises are almost equal in size if not slightly larger.

How fast can a loris run?

Lorises are usually lazy animals and are thus slow in speed. However, they are known to travel large distances in search of food.

How much does a loris weigh?

The average weight of lorises ranges from 0.6-4.6 lb (0.3-2.1 kg). 

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no assorted name given to male and female lorises.

What would you call a baby loris?

A baby loris is often referred to as an infant.

What do they eat?

Lorises are omnivores and thus feed on both plants and animals. These animals feed exclusively on fruits and small insects which they find near trees and bushes.

Are they aggressive?

Lorises are extremely lazy animals and they can be considered as animals that are not aggressive at all. However, they can bite if they feel threatened.  

Would they make a good pet?

No, absolutely not. These animals are illegal to keep as pets in many countries. Moreover, as the majority of these animals are classified as Endangered they shouldn’t be kept as pets.

Did you know...

There are a total of nine species of slow lorises that are present in the world. The most common two species of them are the Bengal lorises (N. bengalensis) and pygmy lorises.

The pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) is a species of slow loris which are Endangered.

The Sunda slow lorises, Nycticebus coucang, have the longest tongue amongst all lorises.

Are lorises poisonous?

The slow lorises are one of the world’s only venomous mammals. The slow loris venom is taken from their sweat glands positioned under their arms and they mix it with their saliva while biting. 

What are a loris' predators?

There are numerous predators of lorises. These include the likes of hawks, sun bears, snakes, and other wild cats.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the masked palm civet and the Japanese macaque.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Loris coloring pages.