Largely solitary and nocturnal, pygmy slow lorises communicate with each other with calls and scent markings. When disturbed, it can emit a strong odor, warning predators to stay away. Then, they may hiss or growl. Now its bite has some, well, bite! The venom can debilitate a predator and cause anaphylactic shock in humans. They are strictly seasonal breeders, with estrus occurring between the end of July and early October. Females give birth hanging from branches or sitting in trees.
Mothers make a gentle chirping sound to their infants, who respond with clicks and squeaks, especially if in distress. Males mark their territory with urine; his territory may overlap with several females. Home range size is unknown. Twinning is common, but often one baby is smaller than the other, and that one may be neglected and die. Mothers interact with and take better care of their singleton offspring.
More males are born than females, but mortality rates are higher for them. Youngsters likely find suitable foods by smell, as adults scent-mark feeding sites they frequent, such as flower nectaries and gum-oozing wounds in trees. Branching out Mother lorises may give birth every 12 to 18 months, producing one or two offspring per litter.
Gestation is about days. Infants are weaned at about days of age. Her daughters reach sexual maturity at around nine months of age, and her sons take much longer—18 to 20 months. Saving lorises. There has also been a significant decline in their forest habitat—76 percent by some estimates—from logging and military activities. In , a Species Survival Plan program was established to help conserve pygmy slow lorises; as of there were about 56 pygmy slow lorises in US-accredited zoos.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is part of this conservation effort. By supporting San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, you are our ally in saving and protecting wildlife worldwide. Some taxonomists consider the pygmy slow loris to be similar enough to the slow loris to be a subspecies. However, most taxonomic classifications group them separately as distinct species. Other venomous mammals besides the slow loris include the duck-billed platypus, vampire bats, some shrews and moles, and solenodons shrew-like mammals, related to hedgehogs.
Most venomous mammals are not immune to their own toxins, so sparring males may die from the bites of their rivals. Pygmy lorises sleep by day rolled up in a ball in the trees with their head tucked snug between their legs. There is no scientific evidence to support loris as effective treatment for any human ailments.
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Travel A road trip in Burgundy reveals far more than fine wine. Travel My Hometown In L. Subscriber Exclusive Content. Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars? How viruses shape our world. The era of greyhound racing in the U. While they are considered to be solitary foragers, it is not uncommon for the territory of one male to overlap with that of several females.
Males do not readily tolerate the presence of other males in their territory. This species is more active at night and moves more quickly than some of the other lorises. In fact, studies have suggested that they are almost constantly in motion during the hours of darkness, pausing briefly only to feed. If accosted, individuals can emit a strong odor warning predators not to attack.
If the predator persists, the loris produces a secretion that is toxic when mixed with saliva. It may then bite the hapless predator. Although extensive research has not been conducted on this defense mechanism, it is known that the secretion is poisonous to humans, and many native peoples in Asia avoid lorises in the wild.
If all other defenses fail, the animals may drop to the ground and flee, but only as a last resort. The reproductive habits of the pygmy slow loris are very similar to those of the slow loris. Mothers give birth every 12 to 18 months, producing small litters of one or two individuals after a day gestational period.
Infants are soon capable of moving around short distances on branches after being parked. Infants are weaned at about days.
Female offspring reach sexual maturity first, usually around nine months of age, while males may not do so until 18 or 20 months have elapsed. While sympatric with slow lorises in part of its range, pygmy slow lorises are confined to a somewhat smaller geographical area. They are found in the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and the province of Yunnan in China.
Where they do occur, members of this species are usually found in thick foliage deep in tropical rainforests. They are also sometimes found in bamboo groves. Sparse distribution, coupled with a history of military activity and political upheaval in its home range, has taken its toll on this species.
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