LORIS

any of the tailless Indo-Malay primates, family Lorisidae, of the genera Loris (slender loris) and Nycticebus (slow loris). Lorises are found in forested regions and may be recognized by their soft, gray or brown fur; huge eyes encircled by dark patches; and shortened index fingers. They are arboreal and nocturnal, curling up to sleep by day. They move with great deliberation and often hang by their feet with their hands free to gain holds on branches or to grasp food. The slender loris (L. tardigradus) of India and Sri Lanka is about 2025 centimetres (810 inches) long and has long, slender limbs, small hands, a rounded head, and a pointed muzzle. It feeds on insects and small animals and apparently is solitary. The female usually bears a single young after about 160170 days' gestation. The two species of slow lorises are more robust and have shorter, stouter limbs, more rounded snouts, and smaller eyes and ears. They are found in Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula. The smaller species (N. pygmaeus) is about 20 cm long; the larger (N. coucang) is about 2738 cm long. Slow lorises are slower moving than slender lorises and feed on insects, small animals, fruit, and vegetation. The females bear one (sometimes two) young after about 190 days' gestation.