Lorias belong to a fairly large family of primates. These arboreal inhabitants are relatives of the Galagidae family, and together form the infra-order Loriformes. All members of this genus as vulnerable or endangered species.

Lemur lory in natural conditions

Slow and very cautious animal is predominantly nocturnal. and rarely joins groups. This family includes four genera and about ten species, but the most popular fat lory.

It is interesting! Around the eyes of the representatives of the genus there is a dark border, resembling glasses and separated by a light strip, due to which the scientists gave the name "loeris", which means "clown" in Dutch.

Feature and description

Loris have a thick and soft coat, which is most often gray or brown in color with a darker shade on the back. Characteristic is the presence of large eyes and small ears, which can be hidden under the coat.

The thumbs are opposed to the rest, and the index fingers can be classified as vestigial organs. The tail is short or completely absent. Depending on the species, the length of the body varies between 17-40 cm, with a body weight of 0.3-2.0 kg.

In nature, the following types are most common:

• small or pygmy loris with a body length of 18-21 cm;
• slow loris with a body length of 26-38 cm;
• Javan Lori with a body length of 24-38 cm;
• thick loris with a body length of 18-38.

It is interesting! In nature, the animal periodically falls into a long hibernation or the so-called state of physiological torpor, which allows the animal to relatively easily survive hunger or adverse external effects of weather factors.

Habitat

Loria under natural conditions inhabit tropical forests in the territory Central Africa, and are also common in some areas of the South and South-Eastern Asian countries. The little loris lives in the forest zones of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The area of ​​distribution of the slow loris is the territory of the Malay Peninsula, the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo.

The Javan lory is endemic. It inhabits the central and western parts of the Indonesian island of Java. Slow lorises are from rainforest Bangladesh, northeast India, Indochina and west Indonesia, and are also found on the northern outskirts of China and in the eastern part of the Philippines.

Lemur food

Under natural conditions, the standard diet Lori nutrition includes both living organisms and food of plant origin. The exotic animal feeds on various crickets, lizards, small birds and their eggs.

The peculiarity of loris lies in the ability to use even poisonous caterpillars and insects as food, as well as to use the resinous secretions of tropical trees. Plant foods also play an important role in the diet of the lemur. The animal easily eats fruits, vegetables, herbs, as well as flowering parts of various tropical plants.

breeding features

An exotic animal is characterized by selectivity in finding a mate and in creating a family.. Lemur lory can search for its mate for a long time, remaining alone for a long period of time. The gestation period slightly exceeds six months, after which one or two cubs are born. Born babies are already covered with relatively thick fur, which serves as an excellent protection against adverse external influences. The weight of the cub usually does not exceed 100-120 grams, but may vary slightly depending on the species characteristics of the animal.

It is interesting! Through a specific set sound signals not only adults communicate, but also cubs of loris, which, when discomfort occurs, are able to emit a fairly loud chirp, and when they hear it, the female hurries to her baby.

For one and a half or two months, the females carry the cubs on themselves. Small animals cling tenaciously to the thick fur on their mother's belly, but from time to time they can move to the father's fur, returning to the female only for feeding. The duration of lactation of the lemur lory, as a rule, does not exceed five months. Little lemurs acquire independence only by the age of one and a half, when they are fully strengthened and receive all vital skills from their parents.

Enemies in nature

Loris live in the crowns of tall tropical trees, where the animal is able to find shelter, food and protection from many enemies, so this exotic rarely descends to the ground. In order not to become prey to various predators, lemurs move with the help of four limbs from branch to branch.

An unusual animal is endowed with a very strong grip, which lasts throughout the day and does not allow the animal to fall to the ground from fatigue. This feature is due to the special structure of blood vessels in the limbs. The high intensity of blood circulation and metabolic processes prolongs the loris movement time to maximum values.

It is interesting! During the first half of the year, more than half of the lories cubs die not only from various diseases, but also become the prey of hawks or poachers, which made it possible to classify the animal as an endangered species.

Smooth and slow movements are a characteristic feature of loris. Such a behavioral feature often helps the animal to hide from natural enemies, the main of which are nocturnal birds of prey, as well as snakes. On earth, the danger to lemurs is represented by almost any large predators. The main natural enemies of slow lorises are orangutans, as well as changeable crested eagles and large pythons.

AT recent times lorises, along with many other exotic representatives of the animal world, suffer greatly from active fishing, deforestation, and a significant increase in human activity even in the most remote corners the globe. The very high demand of exotic connoisseurs for lemurs greatly increased the flow of unauthorized trade in many tropical animals, among which were lorises.

Despite the fact that under natural conditions, lorises, as a rule, keep alone, in captivity, such animals are very willing to live in pairs or small groups, so lemurs will need to equip a fairly spacious enclosure. If a terrarium is chosen as a dwelling, then one adult should have approximately one cubic meter of usable area.

Content in room conditions several males at once often becomes the cause of conflicts, which often end not only in the stress of the animal, but also in deep, severe lacerations. Among other things, males tend to mark their territory, so they mark objects in the room with urine and constantly update their scent marks. Removing such marks causes stress to the pet and can even cause the death of the loris.

Diet, nutrition loris

To date, the owners of such exotic animals do not have the opportunity to use fully prepared dry food for feeding the loris, therefore, the main diet of the animal should include daily following products supply:

• pears or apples;
• fresh cucumbers and carrots;
• papaya or melon;
• bananas not too ripe and kiwi;
• raspberries and cherries;
• quail eggs.

It is also very important to supplement the nutrition of loris with insects, which can be used as caterpillars, dragonflies, cockroaches and crickets, shrimp scalded with boiling water. You can occasionally treat your pet with baby cottage cheese, vegetable and fruit baby purees, nuts, crackers, milk and unsweetened cookies.

Important! Remember that as a result of stress and violations in the diet, diabetes can develop, and without proper and timely treatment, the lemur dies very quickly.

Features of care

Of course, not every lover of domestic exotic animals has the opportunity to create optimal conditions for loris. Many owners of such tropical animals are disappointed that lemurs are able to sleep curled up for a whole day. Also, not everyone can get used to the fact that the bites of an angry lory are very painful, and there are even several cases when such a bite provoked anaphylactic shock.

However, there are a significant number of advantages of keeping such an exotic animal at home:

• no unpleasant odor from animal hair;
• gets along well with other pets;
• does not need regular water procedures;
• animal hair does not cause asthmatic attacks or allergic reactions;
• there is no damage to furniture, wallpaper, wiring and interior items;
• adults do not need mandatory castration and sterilization;
• there is no need to regularly trim the nails.

It is important to remember that the lory lemur is a wild animal and even in a domesticated state does not allow itself to be accustomed to the tray, can bite and does not respond at all to the nickname given to it by the owner.

Breeding in captivity

Sexual maturity of male loris occurs at the age of 17-20 months., and females become sexually mature a little later, at about 18-24 months. At home, lory lemurs breed extremely rarely and very reluctantly. If in natural environment If the female brings offspring only once a year, then at home, even when creating the most comfortable stay, the animal can bring one or two cubs in her entire life.

According to the observations of those who have been raising loris at home for a long time, it is very difficult to notice a pregnancy in a female, so the owner, as a rule, discovers a “new” pet only after it is born. After about six months, the cub is weaned from maternal care, and at the age of one and a half years, the loris is already old enough to live on its own. In captivity, while creating maximum comfort for a pet, an exotic animal is able to live for two decades, and sometimes more.

A few years ago, a real boom swept through our country, and many animal lovers began to acquire loris for keeping in city apartments or a private house. A significant part of the markets in the territory of southeast Asia was flooded with a huge number of these animals, which, for absolutely ridiculous money, began to be massively imported into many countries. A long and difficult journey is accompanied by the death of many animals as a result of severe exhaustion, thirst or hypothermia, so it is quite difficult to acquire a healthy exotic.

Important! When choosing, be sure to make a visual inspection of the animal. The coat should be quite fluffy. A healthy individual has white strong teeth. The eyes should be shiny, without any discharge.

A tropical animal sold in nurseries must have a veterinary passport, as well as a health certificate and a certificate of origin. The average cost of an individual, depending on the species, rarity, age and growing conditions, may vary. Private breeders offer six-month-old loris at a price of 5-8 thousand rubles to three tens of thousands of rubles or more. Prices for an animal from the nursery start from 50 thousand rubles and can exceed 120 thousand rubles.

Common name for the animal lemur lory became known for expensive acquisitions of exotic animals as pets the size of a pet.

This mammal belongs to the few surviving oldest animals on the planet. All representatives of the species are classified as protected objects and are included in.

Features and habitat

It is easy to remember the animal, having once seen its large eyes, surrounded by dark spots and separated by a yellowish stripe. Nature endowed him with good night vision thanks to the reflective substance tapetum, which allows him to navigate in the dark. The eyes may have given rise to the corresponding name "Loeris", translated from the Dutch language - "clown".

In 1766, the French naturalist Georges Buffon called the loris a semi-ape (lemur), while he was considered slow. Today there are three main types:

• thin lory;
• thick loris (lemur lory);
• pygmy (small) loris.

Each species is divided into several subspecies. Zoologists consider them to be varieties of wet-nosed primates, mistakenly classified as.

Forests of South and South-East Asia on the territory of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, India - places of distribution of funny animals. Homeland is considered to be Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore.

The body of the animal, in accordance with the species, varies in size from 20 to 40 cm, and weight from 0.3 to 1.6 kg. Loris are covered with short dense and soft brownish or yellow-gray fur.

Pictured is a thin lory

The belly is always lighter in color. A dark stripe always runs along the spine like a belt. Small head with a short muzzle. The ears are small and rounded. The tail is either completely absent, or protrudes by 1.7-2 cm and is covered with hair, therefore it is hardly noticeable. lori fat distinguished by the presence of white patches on the head.

The fore and hind limbs are approximately equal in size, equipped with grasping and tenacious hands and feet. The fingers have nails, among which there are special "cosmetic" claws for grooming.

Unusual big-eyed animals live on the tops of trees, in dense crowns. Different types live in lowland forests or high in the mountains. They almost never descend to the ground, they lead an arboreal lifestyle.

Pictured is a fat lory

Loris are often called slow for indifference to sharp and fast movements. Sad eyes emphasize their individual expressiveness.

Character and lifestyle

Lemur lory - animal night. Activity comes in the evening, night is the time of hunting, and the animal falls asleep only after the sun rises. Bright light is contraindicated for them, from blinding rays they can go blind and die. Twilight is a comfortable living environment.

They sleep in fur balls on trees, holding onto a branch with their feet and hiding their heads in their legs. Comfortable spot for rest, the animal can find in a hollow or a fork in the branches.

Loris move slowly, carefully, clasping branches from below with all paws. At the slightest danger, they freeze and can remain motionless for a long time, without moving a single leaf, until the threat from some predatory night bird has passed. Animals have excellent hearing.

They are naturally curious and playful. They explore and know their territories well. The animals are very tenacious and strong for their small size, limbs are ideally suited for climbing branches.

It is known that lorises, in addition to hunting for insects and small vertebrates, remove the bark of individual trees and drink the juice that stands out. In nature, they never suffer from periodontal disease. There are individualistic lorises who have their own plots and lead a solitary lifestyle. And some species do not tolerate loneliness, live in pairs.

They usually live in captivity couples or groups (a male and several females or a parent pair and cubs). Loris protect their territory from random intrusions of relatives.

They always keep secretly, in the thick of green branches at a height, which complicates research behind them. Many conclusions are made on the basis of the study of animals in captivity, on the basis of research centers.

Loris voices are different: at a great distance you can hear a whistle, near you can hear the chirping with cubs. Animals have the ability to communicate in an ultrasonic range that is indistinguishable to humans. You can watch the animals silently pushing each other with their paws.

The exchange of information may be going on in parallel at another level. Sometimes a ball of fur is formed from several lorises intertwined with limbs and hanging on a tree.

This is how they communicate, play, have their own section of tidbits, and define an internal hierarchy. The seemingly harmless animal has a secret and terrible weapon. The elbows of the animal melt glands with poison, the contents of which are sucked out and mixed with saliva. The bite can be fatal. But, fortunately, such a danger overtakes the loris infrequently, secret weapons are used in exceptional cases.

Feeding the lemur lory

In nature, the diet of loris is filled with various crickets, lizards, and their eggs. A feature of loris is the ability to eat poisonous caterpillars and insects, as well as to use the resin of trees. Plant food also occupies an important place: fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowering parts of plants, Lori never refuses.

In captivity, animals are fed with baby cereals with the addition of oils, honey, fresh juices, vitamin complexes, dried fruits. It should be noted that individual individuals have their own taste preferences and habits. In general, the diet should be rich in calcium and protein.

Lori domestic lemur can be tamed if the favorite food is received from the hands of the owner. Insects for feeding should be purchased from pet stores to avoid infections from street accidental vectors.

Reproduction and lifespan

Animals are selective in search of a couple, not always individuals of different sexes can form a family. Pregnancy lasts a little more than 6 months and, as a rule, 1-2 cubs are born. Babies appear covered with fur, with open eyes. They cling tightly to the mother's belly, clinging to the wool.

The female carries the cub on herself for about 1.5-2 months. Lactation lasts approximately 4-5 months. Babies can wander from mother to father or close relative, hang on them, and then move to mother for feeding.

Parents take care of the offspring together, but maternal activity is still higher. Only after a year and a half, the stronger offspring become independent and begin to start their own families.

Life expectancy is 12-14 years on average. There are examples when good care significantly increased life expectancy. lemur lory.How many live in captivity, depends on the absence of infections and the creation of conditions close to natural. Animals can survive up to 20-25 years.

Unfortunately, there was a fashion for breeding lori. Price funny animal is high, but exotic lovers are trying to do business on the content for the sale of young animals lemur lory. Buy an animal is possible, but without special knowledge and skills in dealing with an ancient genus, it is difficult to win the trust of a big-eyed primate.

Kingdom: Animals

Type of: chordates

Class: mammals

Squad: Primates

Family: Loriaceae

Genus: slow loris

View: little lory

Habitat

Loria under natural conditions inhabit tropical forests in Central Africa, and are also common in some areas of South and Southeast Asian countries. The little loris lives in the forest zones of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The area of ​​distribution of the slow loris is the territory of the Malay Peninsula, the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo.

The Javan lory is endemic. It inhabits the central and western parts of the Indonesian island of Java. Slow lorises are native to the rainforests of Bangladesh, northeast India, Indochina, and western Indonesia, and are also found in the northern fringes of China and the eastern Philippines.

Description

Lorias belong to a fairly large family of primates. These arboreal inhabitants are relatives of the Galagidae family, and together form the infra-order Loriformes. All representatives of this genus are included in the Red Book as vulnerable or endangered species.

Slow and very cautious animal is predominantly nocturnal and rarely unites in groups. This family includes four genera and about ten species, but the slow loris is the most popular.

Around the eyes of the representatives of the genus there is a dark border, resembling glasses and separated by a light strip, due to which the scientists gave the name "loeris", which means "clown" in Dutch.

Loris have a thick and soft coat, which is most often gray or brown in color with a darker shade on the back. Characteristic is the presence of large eyes and small ears, which can be hidden under the coat.

The thumbs are opposed to the rest, and the index fingers can be classified as vestigial organs. The tail is short or completely absent. Depending on the species, the length of the body varies between 17-40 cm, with a body weight of 0.3-2.0 kg.

In nature, the following types are most common:

• small or pygmy loris with a body length of 18-21 cm;
• slow loris with a body length of 26-38 cm;
• Javan Lori with a body length of 24-38 cm;
• thick loris with a body length of 18-38.

In nature, the animal periodically falls into a long hibernation or the so-called state of physiological torpor, which allows the animal to relatively easily survive hunger or adverse external effects of weather factors.

Feeding the lemur lory

In nature, the diet of loris is filled with various crickets, lizards, small birds and their eggs. A feature of loris is the ability to eat poisonous caterpillars and insects, as well as to use the resin of trees. Plant food also occupies an important place: fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowering parts of plants, Lori never refuses. In captivity, animals are fed with baby cereals with the addition of oils, honey, fresh juices, vitamin complexes, and dried fruits. It should be noted that individual individuals have their own taste preferences and habits. In general, the diet should be rich in calcium and protein. A domestic lory lemur can be tamed if it receives its favorite food from the owner's hands. Insects for feeding should be purchased from pet stores to avoid infections from street accidental vectors.

Reproduction and lifespan

Animals are selective in search of a couple, not always individuals of different sexes can form a family. Pregnancy lasts a little more than 6 months and, as a rule, 1-2 cubs are born. Babies appear covered with fur, with open eyes. They cling tightly to the mother's belly, clinging to the wool. The female carries the cub on herself for about 1.5-2 months. Lactation lasts approximately 4-5 months. Babies can wander from mother to father or close relative, hang on them, and then move to mother for feeding. Parents take care of the offspring together, but maternal activity is still higher.

Only after a year and a half, the stronger offspring become independent and begin to start their own families. Life expectancy is 12-14 years on average. There are examples when good care significantly increased the lifespan of a lemur lory. How long they live in captivity depends on the absence of infections and the creation of conditions close to natural. Animals can survive up to 20-25 years. Unfortunately, a fashion for breeding lorises has arisen. The price of a funny animal is high, but exotic lovers are trying to do business on the content for the sale of young lory lemurs. It is possible to buy an animal, but without special knowledge and skills in dealing with the most ancient kind, it is difficult to win the trust of a big-eyed primate.

Enemies in nature

Loris live in the crowns of tall tropical trees, where the animal is able to find shelter, food and protection from many enemies, so this exotic rarely descends to the ground. In order not to become prey to various predators, lemurs move with the help of four limbs from branch to branch.

An unusual animal is endowed with a very strong grip, which lasts throughout the day and does not allow the animal to fall to the ground from fatigue. This feature is due to the special structure of blood vessels in the limbs. The high intensity of blood circulation and metabolic processes prolongs the loris movement time to maximum values.

During the first half of the year, more than half of the lories cubs die not only from various diseases, but also become the prey of hawks or poachers, which made it possible to classify the animal as an endangered species.

Smooth and slow movements are a characteristic feature of loris. Such a behavioral feature often helps the animal to hide from natural enemies, the main of which are nocturnal birds of prey, as well as snakes. On earth, almost any large predator is a danger to lemurs. The main natural enemies of slow lorises are orangutans, as well as changeable crested eagles and large pythons.

Lemur at home: pros and cons

Among the representatives of this species of animals, the most popular lemurs that take root at home are the following species: black, red-bellied, mongots, cat (ring-tailed) lemur, lory.

There are some nuances in caring for each of them, but in general they are very easy to care for, so they will not cause you much trouble, but good mood and the affection of a new friend is guaranteed to you. The smallest lemur that can be kept at home is the lory lemur.

The sworn enemies of these representatives of the animal world are fosses - predatory feline mammals that live only in Madagascar.

The advantages of keeping this amazing animal in the house:

• calm;
• non-aggressive (if you do not show anger towards him);
• careful;
• easily adaptable;
• attached to the owners;
• does not break or scatter things.

But, just like a coin has two sides, in this case, in addition to the pluses, there are some limitations:

• inability to teach to the toilet;
• touchy;
• unruly against his will.

A tamed wild animal requires special conditions for normal development and growth, one of which is the appropriate climate for their natural habitat, as well as reliable and calm housing.

Climate in the apartment

Since the ancestors of this animal come from hot countries, the lemur is a heat-loving animal that is very easy to catch a cold. He is very afraid of drafts, cold, sudden changes in temperature and humidity levels.

Cage for lemur

As a habitat for a lemur, a small enclosure or a large cage of a vertical structure with metal or wooden rods is perfect. In any case, the size of housing is selected according to the size of the animal. This is a very active and freedom-loving animal that needs a lot of space. There should not be any indoor plants, otherwise your friend may reach out to them and try out of curiosity, and this can lead not only to the deterioration of the plant, but also to the poisoning of the animal. Wires and ropes nearby also need to be removed, because this animal is very inquisitive, and the cage must be locked.

The bottom is covered with soft natural cotton wool or dried hay, there must also be some kind of shelter and tree branches in the cage, because the lemur is a nocturnal tree animal. A small wooden house suspended from the top of the cage will provide a good hiding place at night, where he can climb on special "branches", poles or crossbeams, built separately and attached to the dwelling.

A tree animal will leave marks on the wooden parts of its habitat, it is not recommended to wash them off: the animal may get scared and experience stress.

Dishes for food and water should be made of ceramic, glass or porcelain.

Animal care

Order in the cage should be put in order every day, and general cleaning (wet wiping the bottom of the cage and house, as well as replacing sawdust or bedding) - once a month. With proper care of the lemur's housing, animals do not need to bathe, as they themselves take care of the cleanliness of their wool. If you want to get your friend out of the cage, it is better to catch him with a net to avoid being bitten by an animal due to his fear.

The diet of the animal

As we have already found out, these are nocturnal animals, and they begin their wakefulness in the late afternoon (it can be 8-9 hours), they need to be fed at this time. Now let's consider in more detail the question of what the lemur eats. Most of these animals are fed with soaked white bread, boiled rice, wheat porridge, milk, boiled eggs, fruits, vegetables. Some of the lemurs are carnivorous (they need to be fed boiled meat and insects). If the animal refuses to eat, it can be slightly deceived - anoint the product with honey or sprinkle with pollen or powdered sugar.

It is better not to force animals to eat during the day. Lemurs are not trainable and do everything on their own.

Possible diseases

Of the diseases that can affect lemurs, the following are called:

• allergic reactions to food or poisoning (you need to carefully monitor what they eat, do not give them leftovers from the table, and also check the food for freshness and safety);
• acute respiratory diseases;
• periodontal disease (condition oral cavity may worsen in an adult being; If necessary, you will even have to brush his teeth).

How much does it cost and where can you buy?

Removal of lemurs from natural conditions is prohibited, so when buying this type of animal, be sure to check the documents (the animal you have chosen must be born and raised in captivity - only then is it legal). In addition, lemurs are carriers of infectious diseases dangerous to humans: documents confirming that they have passed veterinary control when crossing the border will help protect your health and the health of your family.

Today, you can buy this animal in special pet stores or from individuals who breed this species both in their own country and abroad. The price of a domestic lemur ranges from 60-100 thousand rubles or 25-55 thousand hryvnias. It is also worth noting that if you want to start several lemurs for breeding, then at home this is very difficult to achieve. Well, if it’s just so that your friend doesn’t get bored in your absence, then keep in mind that conflicts can arise between these animals, as well as other primates. Make sure that housing for animals is built in several tiers or floors with the obligatory presence of separate shelters on each. This will help to avoid fights and feuds, as well as injuries inflicted on each other.

Video

Sources

https://simple-fauna.ru/wild-animals/lemur-lori/

Slow lorises are one of the five genera of wild animals from the Lori family, consisting of eight species, three of which have been formed more recently. The main species include the following species: Bengal loris, slow loris, Javan loris, Kalimantan loris and pygmy or small thick loris. In 2013, the study of some individuals that previously belonged to the Kalimantan lorises made it possible to identify three more new species - N. borneanus, N. kayan and N. bancanus.

All representatives of the genus are included in the Red Book as vulnerable or endangered species. The export of slow lorises outside their native countries is prohibited by law, threatens with fines and even imprisonment.

The habitat of rare animals extends from Bangladesh and Northeast India to the Philippines and from the Chinese province of Yunnan to the island of Java. They prefer humid tropical forests.

The size of slow loris can vary depending on the species - body length ranges from 18 to 38 cm, and weight - from 300 grams to 1.5 kg. They belong to nocturnal animals, so nature rewarded them big eyes with a reflective layer called tapetum that allows them to see in the dark. The head is rounded, with a short muzzle. The eyes of all representatives of the genus are bordered by dark "glasses" and separated by a light stripe. Perhaps thanks to this appearance, resembling a clown mask, scientists gave the animals the appropriate name - translated from the Dutch "loeris" means "clown". The fur of slow lorises is soft and thick, its color varies from grayish to yellow, the hair on the abdomen is lighter. Another one distinguishing feature- a dark stripe running from the neck along the entire spine. The ears are small and round. The hind and forelimbs are well developed, almost the same length. All fingers of slow loris have nails, with the exception of the second fingers of the hind limbs, which are equipped with "cosmetic" claws intended for grooming.

Exotic representatives of the world of fauna from Asia lead an arboreal lifestyle in their natural habitat, practically without descending to the ground. They move with the help of four limbs, moving from branch to branch or moving along them along the length. Animals are endowed with an unusually strong grip on their arms and legs, which does not weaken throughout the day. This feature is explained by the special structure of the blood vessels of the limbs, which provides intensive blood circulation and metabolism in the muscles during the movement of the animal.

Slow lorises are nocturnal, spending most (over 90%) of their active period alone. Sometimes they can form pairs or small unstable groups. The day is spent curled up in a fork in the branches of a tree and holding tightly to them with their paws, or located in tree hollows and other suitable shelters that lie at a height. One slow loris can have over 60 favorite places to rest. With the onset of darkness, the animals come to life and go hunting. They slowly travel through vines and tree branches, clinging to them with their fingers. Males regularly mark their boundaries to mark their territory, not forgetting to update these scent marks. In search of food, they may accidentally meet representatives of their own species, with which their individual sites are adjacent. During such meetings, the animals touch each other, engage in mutual combing of wool, or communicate with each other through various postures. However, most often they receive information about a relative they meet with the help of hearing and smell.

Compared to other mammals of a similar size, slow lorises have an extremely slow metabolism, which leads to a very leisurely lifestyle. Their main feature - the smooth and somewhat slow nature of their movements - helps them sneak up on prey or hide from enemies unnoticed. True, when lorises are not scared, they are able to move quite quickly - for example, bypassing the territory and leaving marks.

Depending on the time of year, the diet of animals consists of various proportions of fruits, plants, tree resin, bird eggs, nectar, insects, terrestrial mollusks and small vertebrates. Animals catch insects with one or both hands, often grabbing branches for better balance with the fingers of their hind limbs. The main natural enemies of slow lorises include orangutans, pythons, and volatile crested eagles.

Males reach puberty at the age of 17-20 months, females - 18-24 months. Pregnancy lasts 180-190 days, after which the female gives birth to one or two cubs. For the first 14 days, newborn lorises cling tightly to their mother's fur. Sometimes the female carefully removes the baby and puts it in a hollow tree or a secluded fork of branches, where he sits quietly and imperceptibly while the mother gets food. In case of discomfort, the cub emits a loud chirp, and the female hurries to him. It is believed that in the wild, the male does not take part in raising offspring, but in captivity they can take the cubs and carry them on themselves until they get hungry and want to return to the nurse. After 5-7 months, the baby is weaned from the care of the mother, and at the age of 1-1.5 years it becomes old enough for independent living. In captivity, the life expectancy of representatives of the Loriev family is 20-25 years.

Slow lorises are not among the most talkative primates - they use sounds mainly to signal aggression, anxiety, and to communicate with the cub and mother.

Although international trade Since slow lorises are banned and threaten to reduce their population, poachers continue to actively catch and export them for the purpose of selling them as pets. At the same time, the transportation of animals takes place, to put it mildly, not in the most favorable conditions, and many of them die on the road. Also serious danger bears the massive deforestation of tropical forests, which are inhabited by these arboreal animals. World Foundation wildlife makes every effort to increase the population of slow lorises, contributing to their reproduction in reserves and captivity.

Nocturnal animals loris, representatives of the Lori family, live in tropical forests Central Africa, South and Southeast Asia. Their distinguishing feature is their huge, forward-facing eyes. Their tails are short or absent altogether. Usually loris reach a length of 17 to 40 cm, and the weight varies depending on the species between 0.3 and 2 kg. Loris are active primarily at night. They are characterized by slow and careful movements, and never jump. With their strong paws, the Lorians cling to the branches and even by force it is very difficult to unhook them from them. Most Lorians live alone or in small tribal groups. Loris can live up to 20 years.

Loris feed mainly on insects, bird eggs and small vertebrates. In addition, they can eat fruits or tree sap. The main threat to the existence of Lorias is the gradual destruction of their habitat, that is, tropical forests. The Lorian family is divided into four genera, in which, depending on the point of view, there are from eight to ten species. Here are some of the genera: thin, fat, small, common, slow lorises and pottos.

Slender lorises are small graceful animals with a body weight of 85-348 grams and a head and body length of about 26 cm, the tail is absent. The limbs are thin, slender, the front ones are only slightly shorter than the hind ones. The eyes are round and very large, close together and directed forward, they are separated only by a narrow white stripe, dark circles around the eyes, which further increases their size.

Slender lorises are inhabitants of the tropical rainforests of South India and Ceylon, but are also found in dry forest zones. The locals call them tewangu. During the day, they sleep in hollows of trees or in dense foliage, most often at the bifurcation of branches. At the same time, the body curls up into a ball, the head and forelimbs are between the thighs, and the feet cling tightly to the branch, sometimes the hands embrace the branch. In captivity, they can be seen sleeping in limbo, clinging to the crossbar of their cage.

At sunset, slender lorises wake up, deploy, stretch, clean and fluff their hair with a "tooth comb" and a toilet claw, then slowly go in search of food. In the semi-darkness their eyes shine brightly, like embers. Their slow movement is due to the grasping ability of the limbs, with the feet playing the main role. The hand is also a good grasping organ; in gripping branches of small diameter and in grasping food, the main force belongs to the large and longest fourth fingers.

About six sounds made by them are described, including low grunts and chirping. Of their special habits, it is interesting to note that, like many other lemurs, moving slowly along the branches, they spray their entire surface with urine, wetting the limbs with it. This habit is explained as olfactory marking of the territory.

Lori thick pretty similar to lorises, although they differ in larger size and dense physique. Their food is insects, leaves, fruits, seeds, birds and their eggs, lizards. In captivity, they eat a lot of fruit, a little meat. Thick loris live alone or in pairs and small families. Several types of their voice are known - low grunt, high chirping, high clear whistle, especially in females during breeding. In captivity, they are silent and sad.

The small loris differs little from the big fat loris. Basically, in size: its weight ranges from 400 to 800 g, while the big loris weighs within 1 kg. However, there is a lot to be said about him. interesting facts. On the Internet, on one of the forums dedicated to animals, we found a diary of one married couple from the Moscow region, which acquired a pair of small slow lorises. This essay is huge - more than a hundred pages! Being loving owners, the husband and wife learned all the subtleties of keeping, communicating and feeding thick lorises in their own practice, constantly improving the living conditions and nutrition of their wards, and helped to shed light on hitherto unknown facts about the life of these wonderful pets.

First, a male was taken into the house. Almost from the very first days, he showed himself to be a smart, intelligent, affectionate and sociable animal; very quickly fell in love with human hands and loved to sit on the palms folded in a “boat”, absorbing his favorite delicacy - grapes. Constantly observing his grace, habits and funny postures, these people figured out why the loris is called "fat". Firstly, of course, for their toy touching "plushness". Secondly, the lory has a dense, spherical tummy, like an avid beer drinker - it is very pronounced and is especially clearly visible at the moment when the lory sits almost like a person, leaning on its hind limbs.

After 10 days, a female was taken - a girlfriend for the growing male. The boy could not accept the girl for a long time, but not at all because of youth, inexperience, or a sense of territoriality. He was really "jealous" of his new companion to the owners! As soon as one of the spouses picked up the female, caressed her, the male immediately began to worry, scream and snap, but several days passed, and peace reigned in the lory family.

To observe the mysterious life of pets, the couple purchased a night vision camera, which was installed in the terrarium. The image was broadcast on the TV screen in the bedroom, so people could see everything that happens to the pets during their nightly activity, without disturbing the peace of the animals. In the dark, left alone, the lorises shook off their phlegmatic drowsiness - they actively moved, communicated, made various sounds.

It turned out that another name - slow (slow large and slow little loris) is completely inappropriate for these animals! They are playful, agile, graceful and can be very fun to mess around and misbehave. The female called the male, he answered her, they sniffed, played, and then, having run and ate from the belly, sweetly fell asleep in the house in an embrace. The camera also captured how funny the loris eat: sitting, taking a piece of food with “handles”, almost like small human cubs.