Any of a group of small prosimian
primates native to Southeast Asia. Lorises are slow-moving, tree-dwelling, and nocturnal. They have very large eyes; true lorises have no tails. They climb without leaping, gripping branches tightly and moving on or hanging below them. (Family Lorisidae.)
The
slender loris (
Loris tardigradus) of southern India and Sri Lanka is about 20 cm/8 in long. The tubbier
slow loris (
Nycticebus coucang) of Southeast Asia is 30 cm/1 ft.
The
angwantibo (genus
Arctocebus),
potto (genus
Perodicticus), and
galagos or
bushbabies (genera
Galago and
Euoticus) are similar African forms.
© RM 2012. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.