loris

/lawr"is, lohr"-/, n., pl. loris.

1. Also called slender loris. a small, slender, tailless, large-eyed, nocturnal lemur, Loris gracilis, of southern India and Sri Lanka.

2. Also called slow loris. a similar but stockier lemur of the genus Nycticebus, of southeastern Asia: N. pygmaeus is a threatened species.

[1765-75; < NL < D loeris simpleton, equiv. to loer stupid person ( < F lourd < L luridus LURID) + -is -ISH¹]

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Any of three species of nocturnal, arboreal primates in the family Lorisidae.

Lorises have soft gray or brown fur, huge eyes encircled by dark patches, and no tail. They move slowly and often hang by their feet, leaving their hands free to grasp branches or food. The slender loris (Loris tardigradus) of India and Sri Lanka is 8–10 in. (20–25 cm) long; it eats insects and small animals. The slow lorises (genus Nycticebus) of South Asia and the Malay Peninsula eat insects, small animals, fruit, and vegetation. Nycticebus pygmaeus is about 8 in. (20 cm) long; N. coucang is 10.5–15 in. (27–38 cm) long. Habitat degradation and hunting have seriously depleted loris populations.

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▪ primate group

 any of about eight species of tailless or short-tailed South and Southeast Asian forest primates. Lorises are arboreal and nocturnal, curling up to sleep by day. They have soft gray or brown fur and can be recognized by their huge eyes encircled by dark patches and by their short index fingers. They move with great deliberation through the trees and often hang by their feet, with their hands free to grasp food or branches.

      The slender loris (Loris tardigradus, now generally classified as two or more species) of India and Sri Lanka is about 20–25 cm (8–10 inches) long and has long, slender limbs, small hands, a rounded head, and a pointed muzzle. It feeds mostly on insects (predominantly ants) and is solitary. The female usually bears a single young after five or six months' gestation.

 The five slow lorises (genus Nycticebus) are more robust and have shorter, stouter limbs, more-rounded snouts, and smaller eyes and ears. They are found in Indonesia and on the Malay Peninsula. The smallest species (N. pygmaeus), restricted to forests east of the Mekong River, is about 25 cm long; the larger N. coucang and its relatives, widespread in Southeast Asia, are about 27–37 cm long. Slow lorises move more slowly than slender lorises; they feed on insects, small animals, fruit, and vegetation. The females bear one (sometimes two) young after about six months' gestation. Lorises are related to the pottos and angwantibos of Africa; together they constitute the family Lorisidae.

 

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