Lorises and Pottos: Lorisidae

The slow lorises live throughout tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia. The slender lorises are found in the tropical forests of India and Sri Lanka. Pottos occur only in the tropical and subtropical forests of West and Central Africa.

Lorises and pottos live only in thickly forested areas. Most often, they live in the trees of tropical rainforests, forests where the trees are evergreen and there is a lot of rain.

Lorises are omnivores, eating both plants and very small animals. They are nocturnal, feeding at night. They locate food with their keen sense of smell. Diet includes insects, lizards, fruits, leaves, birds' eggs, and gum, the liquid from plants. Each species, or type, of Lorisidae, may have a food preference. When feeding, they hang by their feet from a branch.

While no Lorisidae are considered Endangered, two are Vulnerable (facing a high risk of extinction, or dying out, in the wild) due to habitat loss. Two are Near Threatened (not currently threatened with extinction), and four species are fairly common.