Grey Slender Loris

Grey Slender Loris, a nocturnal primate species, was recently rescued and released in North Goa.

About Grey Slender Loris:

• The Grey Slender Loris is a species of primate from the family Loridae.

Types of Slender Loris

• There are two species within the genus ‘Loris’:
  • Red Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus)
  • Grey Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus)

Distribution of the Grey Slender Loris

• They are found in southern and eastern India (specifically Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka.
• They particularly inhabit dry and drought-prone areas like the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu.

Habitat

• Grey Slender Loris lives in various forest types including tropical rainforests, scrub forests, semi-evergreen forests, semi-deciduous forests, and swamps.
• They are also found in acacia and tamarind-dominated thorn and scrub forests near cultivated fields.

Characteristics

• This nocturnal animal has a lean and lanky appearance, longer and slender limbs, larger ears, pointed snout, and eyes circled with black or dark brown.
• Their fur is soft and woolly, varying in color from dark grey to earthy brown.
• They are slow movers and adept at foraging, often nesting near large insect colonies for easy meals.
• The species is viviparous, producing living young instead of eggs.

Diet

• Primarily insectivorous, but they are also fond of berries.

Threats

• Their primary threat is habitat loss.
• Other significant threats include electrocution on power lines, hunting for the pet trade, road kills, superstitious kills, traditional medicine, and habitat fragmentation.
• The disappearance of the acacia tree, a preferred species, has particularly impacted their populations.

Conservation Status

• IUCN: Near Threatened
• CITES: Appendix II
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I

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