FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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.
Lorises are a type of primate that usually live in forests and belong to the family of Lorisidae.
Loris belongs to the class Mammalia, genus Nycticebus, of the Animalia kingdom.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lorises are extremely cute animals and with their large googly eyes, they look extremely adorable.
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.
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.
Lorises are usually lazy animals and are thus slow in speed. However, they are known to travel large distances in search of food.
The average weight of lorises ranges from 0.6-4.6 lb (0.3-2.1 kg).
There is no assorted name given to male and female lorises.
A baby loris is often referred to as an infant.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_loris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_slender_loris
https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Lorises&searchType=species
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.