On April 9 the Duke Lemur Center welcomed two new Pygmy Slow Loris twins to mother Loris, Sovanni. The Duke Lemur is the foremost prosimian research and advocacy center and sanctuary. Prosimians are primitive primates that include lemurs, lorises, bushbabies and tarsiers.
The vulnerable Pygmy Slow Loris is a nocturnal tree dweller that lives up to its name, moving in slow-motion while hunting prey. While they may look cute and cuddly (thermo-nuclearly cute if you ask us) this animal has a toxic bite, a very rare trait amongst mammals. Widespread poaching for the pet trade and use in traditional medicines sold in China has put a tremendous strain on the species in its native home of Southeast Asia.
Moody Gardens guests get a special treat this summer: the chance to see two rare Pygmy Slow Loris offspring, born June 13, on exhibit in the Rainforests of the World Exhibit.
The addition of the second set of twins is a rare and valuable boost to the population of this primitive primate species called prosimians that are found in tropical forests of Laos, Vietnam, China and Cambodia. These arboreal (tree-living) primates were nearly extinct in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Much of the forests where the loris lived were destroyed. After the Vietnam War, deforestation continued to be a threat. Due to numerous environmental dangers, the species is listed as “vulnerable” by United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
Quiet, slow and shy, Pottos spend their days sleeping in nooks high up in the trees and nights hunting for tasty fruits, tree sap and the occasional sleepy bug. Only three North American zoos exhibit Pottos and only the Cincinnati Zoo has successfully bred this rarely seen primitive primate. In some parts of Africa, the Potto is called a "Softly-Softly," however when the diminutive Potto is threatened, they will jab at enemies with pointy vertebrae on the back of their necks. Distantly related to apes and humans, they are more closely related to other lorises. These photos come to us courtesy of and copyright by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Moving slowly through the tree tops and weighing only a pound or less in adulthood, the pygmy slow loris lives up to its name. On March 22nd, Moody Gardens in Texas announced the rare birth of pygmy slow loris twins to mother Luyen and father Icarus. Moody Gardens tells us that “Luyen has been a very attentive and good mother to the twins. The babies stay attached to their mom for the majority of the day, taking plenty of opportunities to nurse.” In adulthood, these primitive primates, rely on their human-like hands and huge eyes to hunt tasty insects at night.
Below: The bashful female at just 15 days old.
Below: The curious male, also at 15 days old.
Below: Video of the twins that belongs in the adorability record books.
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