Javan slow loris. Are slow lorises really poisonous? Research work with this species at the Moscow Zoo

Most people keep some kind of animal at home. Naturally, most often they are dogs or cats - yet they have been "cohabiting" with people for many centuries, although they have already lost (mostly) their utilitarian purpose. However, quite often people prefer to see something exotic in their apartment - up to a crocodile in the bathroom (of course, if you have two of them). In our opinion, these reptiles are not very successful as a pet: neither cuddle, nor stroke, nor play. But those who acquire loris will get a lot of pleasure from the new inhabitant of the apartment.

Not to be confused with lemurs!

The correct name for these animals is the slow loris. This is not an abusive name, but a scientific one. Often, animals are called lemurs, although this is not entirely correct, and for several reasons.

First of all, the origin of the animals is completely different: the slow loris lives in Bangladesh, Indonesia and northeast India. Lemurs are brought from Madagascar, and this is quite far from the place of residence of loriks.

The fat loris visually does not have a tail. Of course, he has it. But so small that it hides in thick wool, so you can find it only by touch.

Animals also differ in size. The slow loris does not exceed 38 centimeters in size, and its small variety grows only up to 18. Lemurs, on the other hand, reach 45 cm, and taking into account the tail, up to all 60.

Structural features

However, the Lori genus has five representatives, among which it is quite possible to choose a safe “life partner”.

How to choose

If you do not want to be upset by the short life span and constant ailments of your pet, take a closer look at the animal before buying it. And most importantly - to how and where the former owner keeps it. A spacious and well-groomed cage is required, and no smell should come from it. The fat loris itself at home, as well as in the wild, does not smell, so only an uncleaned house can stink.

It is better to take an animal at the age of six months - so the animal is easier to get used to new faces and surroundings. The coat should be even and smooth; bald spots indicate that either the animal is sick, or it was poorly and improperly fed. The same applies to teeth - a color other than white indicates, again, an unbalanced diet or care errors. Cloudy eyes or drooping eyelids also indicate the ill health of the animal.

Whom to take - a boy or a girl - depends on you. If you decide to get a couple, get ready for the fact that the animals will not become tame: they will have enough communication with each other. But if you first take one loris, and after some time - a spouse for him, then both will willingly spend time with people.

Who better to stay on a cat or a dog

But it is worth thinking about the animal itself. Choose a different animal if your children are under five years old. Toddlers do not yet perceive exhortations on the topic "it hurts" or "he is resting." And Lori has a very independent character, and he also does not understand persuasion. So your child may be seriously bitten, and your purchase is at risk of getting sick from nervous strain.

Fans of taking pictures, and even more so professional photographers, should also understand that this is not their beast - a fat lory. Its content is not too complicated, but it does not allow frequent movement, and frequent flashes can permanently blind the animal.

You can also show off your unusual beast only at home. If you carry it in your pocket for all to see, it won't last long. If you are annoyed by sounds during sleep, consider whether Lorik is right for you. Nevertheless, these animals are nocturnal, and their activity wakes up at eight o'clock in the evening. Some time later, the animal may learn some of your habits, but it will never become absolutely diurnal.

Food, home and domestication

As already mentioned, a cage for a loris is a must. Moreover, it is quite large, with a pallet in which you should not fill the filler - it is better to take an old rag like a diaper. Cleaning will become much easier, and the smell will be absent.

It should be hung in the cage with letnitsy and ropes, fasten the branches so that the animal can climb all over it. Feeders will need as many as three - under water, regular food and for vegetables or fruits. A house that can be made of fabric, suspended, or a wooden floor with soft warm bedding is very useful. You will also need a humidifier placed in the room. During the day, it is better to draw the windows with curtains, since the lorises are sleeping at this time, and their eyes are very sensitive. And no drafts!

The food for these animals consists primarily of insects. In the summer, catch them yourself, in the winter you will have to buy (at least the same shrimp are well digested, only they must be peeled, raw and not salted. Boiled chicken eggs will do, but not too often. Vegetables and fruits are presented in a wide range: pears, non-sour apples, grapes, bananas, mangoes, melons, cherries and watermelon, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and avocados - all warm, peeled, pitted and chopped.

You need to accustom your acquisition to yourself slowly, patiently, but persistently. You can’t wake up a lorik, you can’t tear him away from the cage, but you must definitely let him go free so that he explores the surroundings. These animals love to be scratched, and touchingly raise their hands if they have not yet “combed” and you have stopped this wonderful procedure. Make sure that the animal does not climb into any hole, especially if it is still unintelligent - it may not understand how to get out of there and start crying.

In general, watching them is so interesting that you will forget about the TV. The main thing is to communicate with Loris more so that he begins to trust you and willingly climbs on the handles or wanders around the apartment.

Slow lorises (popularly - lemur loris) are a genus of funny big-eyed animals belonging to the order of wet-nosed primates, which are often mistakenly called lemurs. From a zoological point of view, this is not true, since they belong to the infaorder Loris, and not lemurs. In addition, lemurs, as you know, are a family of semi-monkeys that live exclusively on the territory of Madagascar, and thick lorises are distributed quite far from them - in South and Southeast Asia. The main external feature that distinguishes loris from lemurs is the absence of a long tail. They have it very small, reaching 1.5-2 cm. In English-speaking countries, representatives of this genus are called "slow", which is not at all surprising, because they are famous for their indifference to sudden movements.

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 are nocturnal animals, so nature gave them large eyes with a reflective layer called tapetum, which 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, reminiscent of a clown mask, scientists gave the animals the appropriate name - in translation 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 distinguishing feature is 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.

Despite the fact that the international trade of slow lorises is prohibited and threatens 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, a serious danger is the massive deforestation of tropical forests, which are inhabited by these arboreal animals. The World Wildlife Fund is making every effort to increase the population of slow loris, promoting their reproduction in reserves and captivity.

Lovers of southern countries and exotic animals often have unusual pets at home. Unfortunately, this is not always safe. And if many are aware of poisonous snakes and spiders, then only a few know that cute lorises can lead to the death of their owners.

It seems incredible, but among our closest relatives, primates, there are species that are capable of producing a potent poison. Moreover, these cutest creatures are really dangerous for humans: the poison that enters the body when bitten causes anaphylactic shock and death in just 30 minutes.

All poisonous primates belong to the genus Slow Loris, of the Lori family. Currently, zoologists distinguish five species among the slow loris: the little loris (nycticebus pygmaeus), the bengal loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), the Javan loris (Nycticebus javanicus), the slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) and the Kalimantan loris (Nycticebus menagensis). All of these species are poisonous, so take a close look at how they look.

little lory

These unusual animals, leading mainly nocturnal, live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They can be found in India, southern China, Bangladesh and the islands of Indonesia. The appearance of slow lorises is in many ways similar to the rest of the family: large round eyes, forward-facing thick and soft fur, small size, very small tail or even its complete absence. Slow lorises do not exceed the size of domestic cats, and their weight ranges from 300-1600 grams, depending on the species.

Poison in slow loris is secreted by the brachial gland, which is located on the inside of the front legs. If necessary, the animal licks it with its tongue and uses it as self-defense. Thick lorises have rather sharp teeth, so they easily bite through the skin, and the poison from the mouth enters the victim's body. After the bite, the victim has an allergic reaction to the toxin. In the case of a person, this leads to anaphylactic shock and death in the absence of medical intervention. Unfortunately, the victim has no more than 30 minutes to save his life.

At home in Southeast Asia, slow lorises often become victims of local residents. They are caught for the manufacture of various traditional medicine preparations, as well as for sale as pets.

Javanese lory

There are also such lovers of exotic animals who keep poisonous lorises at home. On the Internet, you can even find information that thick loris, although they have poisonous glands, allegedly do not use them in home conditions. It sounds optimistic, but this is nothing more than a cunning ploy of a seller who wants to sell a live product. In addition, cute slow lorises are often used for photo shoots at various exhibitions, as well as for the entertainment of tourists in tropical countries.

Exotic lovers should know that slow lorises offered on the exotic animal market are wild animals that are caught for sale, and not raised in special nurseries, as sellers sometimes assure. Therefore, we are not talking about any “domestication” and you should not have illusions that lorises will become safe in a couple of months. A tragic incident that happened to the owner of a slow loris in St. Petersburg is widely known: the male, for unknown reasons, became aggressive and bit the girl. The hostess, fortunately, survived, but spent several days in intensive care.

(Loris), and the appearance of the animals is consistent with the names. The largest is the fat Bengal loris ( Nycticebus bengalensis) - weighs more than two kilograms, and the smallest - red thin loris - only about 100 grams.

In India, lorises are called "forest babies", in Sumatra - "wind monkeys", in Java - "moon-faced". The "official" name of these animals, loris, comes from the old Dutch "loeris", meaning "clown". Since the travelers who discovered the loris in 1770 compared it with a sloth for its leisurely movements, the adjective “slow” was assigned to the beast. And to this day, representatives of the genus Nycticebus are called "slow lorises" in English.

Total to date in the subfamily Lorisinae there are 10 types. The closest relatives of loris - potto and galago - live in Africa, while the loris themselves are inhabitants of Asia. For a long time, little was known about these creatures, but over the past decades, scientists have accumulated enough data to refute many rumors about lorises generated by travel records and Aboriginal stories.

Observations of loris have shown that these are just very mobile animals. The discoverers who compared lorises to sloths described their behavior in daylight, but the time of the loris comes at sunset. Slender lorises cover about a kilometer per night, thick ones - about five. The maximum recorded loris movement speed is as much as 1.5 m / s! Loris are designed to live in the crowns of trees - they are usually found at a height of up to 10 meters - and rarely find themselves on the ground. They can't jump at all, but they are excellent climbers. The special structure of the spine allows loris to make "snake" wave-like movements, and the mobility of the joints and the location of the thumbs at a turned angle to the rest allows you to grab the surrounding branches. When lorises move in the crowns of trees, they are able to stretch over the abyss, holding on to several branches at the same time. If necessary, hang on a lonely branch, they feel uncomfortable and move slowly.

The diet of loris consists of a variety of gifts from the forest. Slender lorises prefer insects or small vertebrates and only occasionally eat fruit and tree resin. Lori hunt, carefully watching the victim, and at the right time make a swift throw. Their touching large eyes help them in this: among the suborder of wet-nosed primates ( Strepsirrhines) in loris, the orbits are closest together - this allows you to have a large angle of stereoscopic vision.

Slow lorises, on the other hand, use their eyes primarily to search for plant foods. The slow loris diet includes both flower nectar and fruits, but its basis is vegetable juice. In a few seconds, a slow loris is able to make a hole in a branch or trunk in order to get to the nectar, which can be enjoyed for almost an hour, firmly clinging to the trunk. So that at this time no one would feast on the loris himself, he acquired a camouflage color. Their tongue, the longest among primates, and their serrated hyoid plate (see Sublingua) can penetrate woody flowers of various shapes. At the same time, neat animals not only do not harm flowers, but also play the role of pollinators, carrying pollen on their faces.

Loris inhabit not only the tropics, but also areas with pronounced seasonality. For example, in northern Vietnam, the temperature in winter can drop to 5 ° C, food becomes scarce, and maintaining body temperature is increasingly difficult. Therefore, in especially difficult times, loris prefer to hibernate. More recently, it was possible to show that the little loris ( Nycticebus pygmaeus) can fall into a multi-day (up to 62 hours, and on average 43 hours) torpor, while the body temperature of the animal can drop from the usual 34 ° C to 11 ° C. Previously, Madagascar lemurs were considered the only primates that could hibernate.

Slow lorises are the only venomous primates. The poison is formed when the animal licks its elbow, mixing the secretions of the brachial, or brachial, gland with saliva. That is why, with fear and a sense of danger, Lori raises her elbows up. The mixture remains on the teeth of the animal, its bite becomes poisonous (in humans, it can lead to anaphylactic shock and even death). A special device of teeth helps to deliver the poison to its intended purpose: the front teeth (fangs and incisors) of the loris are flattened and turned into a comb sharp as needles. Lori venom is multicomponent, its composition is species-specific and depends on the diet, which largely consists of poisonous plants. The sap of some trees that the slow loris feed on is deadly poisonous to humans, and the loris is immune to many toxins. Toxins from food can be included in the composition of the animal's venom, thereby benefiting it instead of harm. The main component of the loris venom is a protein from the secretoglobin family (see Secretoglobin), which are known only in mammals and are the main component of many of the substances they secrete.

Galina Klink

The fat lory is not at all an offensive nickname for some clumsy bun lover. This is just the name of one of the five genera of funny big-eyed animals from the loris family. In English-speaking countries, he is called "slow", because he really does not like sudden movements.

Slow loris (lat. Nycticebus) live in the northeast of India, in the eastern part of Bangladesh, as well as in Indo-China on the warm Indonesian islands. They are sometimes confused with lemurs and completely in vain. Firstly, lemurs live very far from loris - in Madagascar, and, secondly, they differ from them in many ways.

For example, slow lorises, like all members of the family, have practically no tail. Rather, it is, but so small that it is noticeable only when feeling. Their body size varies from 18 to 38 cm, and their weight is within one and a half kilograms. This is one of the few Lorias, the nature of which allows them to be kept in captivity.

Only here it should be taken into account that the genus of slow loris has as many as five species, one of which - the small thick loris - is poisonous. Yes, yes, this tiny (18-20 cm) primate with such innocent eyes can deliver a lot of unpleasant minutes. On the bend of his elbows there are glands that secrete a special substance, which, mixed with saliva, turns into a rather strong poison.

In the wild, slow lorises use it to protect babies from predators: they lick the cub's fur and it becomes poisonous. In addition, due to the frequent contact of the secret of the ulnar glands with saliva, the bites of these animals are also poisonous.

However, the rest of the slow loris are quite harmless. They are nocturnal, which is why they need such big eyes. They live alone, less often in pairs or unstable groups. Moreover, the site of one male usually includes several sites of females. When one of them is ready for fertilization, special pheromones appear in her urine, which attract the male.

Pregnancy lasts a little less than three months and ends with the birth of one cub. This little ball of wool immediately grabs onto the mother's fur and does not let go for the next 14 days. True, already a day after birth, he can cling to the branches of trees, but prefers to be closer to the mother's nipple.

Interestingly, in the wild, male slow lorises do not participate in the upbringing of their offspring, but in captivity, some of them literally take the baby from the mother, carry it on themselves and protect it, giving it to her only at the time of feeding.

Loris feed on insects, bird eggs, chicks and their small parents, various rodents, fruits and nectar. They do not conflict with each other when obtaining food. Usually meetings of "neighbors" end with a demonstration of different poses or mutual grooming. It is curious that for this purpose the slow loris even has a special tool - a "cosmetic" claw located on the second toe, while all other fingers are equipped with ordinary nails.

Unfortunately, slow lorises are on the verge of extinction: they are inhabitants of tropical forests and risk leaving our planet with them to the sad sounds of an indifferent ax. Although, who knows, maybe humanity will be able to stop in time.