Know Before You Go
Slender Loris Facts | Sri Lanka Wildlife Guide
Lorises are among the most primitive of primates and are often referred to as proto-simians. These small, furry and elusive nocturnal primates live in a variety of forested habitats. There are two main species in Sri Lanka, the gray and the red slender loris.
The rare red slender loris of the wet zone is only found in Sri Lanka, and the more adaptable and widely distributed gray slender loris can also be found in southern India. The red is the smallest primate in Sri Lanka. Both move slowly along branches using all four limbs. They do not leap, although their relatively long arms allow them to reach from tree to tree.
The gray slender loris is solitary, only found in groups when a mother is still with her young. The red slender loris is the most social of all nocturnal primates.
The Horton Plains subspecies of the red slender loris was considered extinct for 60 years, until it was rediscovered in 2002. It is possibly the world’s rarest primate, with population estimates ranging from 60 to 100.
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