Cool Facts About The Red Slender Loris

• The Red Slender Loris can be found hanging around in the rainforests of Sri Lanka
• Their name most likely stems from the incredibly skinny arms and legs – they are definitely not weight lifting primates
• You may have noticed the large, round eyes (how could you miss it) that dominate the face of the Red Slender Loris. These eyes have evolved to provide exceptional night vision capabilities to the loris…and they make it physically impossible to say no to this little guy

A Little Family Love

While the Red Slender Loris looks similar to their closest relative, the Grey Slender Loris, they have a few major differences. For instance, the red variety prefers to travel quickly through the trees while I guess their relative might stick to the ground. Much like other primates, the Red Loris forms small family groups composed of males, females and of course the cute, young babies. Interestingly, this particular loris is the most social of all the nocturnal primates. While these family members are close, they tend to search for food on their own – I guess even the Slender Loris needs a little alone time to just think…and grab a bite to eat.

The Night Owl…errr… Loris

By now you may have realized that the Red Slender Loris is actually nocturnal. Yep, it is under the darkness of the night that they will look for insects (these primates are mostly insectivorous), groom each other and of course play wrestle. During the day, the group will gather together high in the trees where they will typically sleep on a branch with their heads in their laps. Personally, this doesn’t sound like a comfortable sleeping position but I guess it works for them.

Close To The Brink

Unfortunately, habitat destruction and poaching have lead to the decline of this adorable little primate. As a result, they are currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and to make matters even worse the population trend continues to be on the decline. Researchers estimate there to be just over 1500 individuals left in the wild so it won’t take long before this number hits zero if something isn’t done to slow the destruction of their habitat. If you would like to help save this wonderful, little animal then check out the Red Slender Loris EDGE Conservation Programme.