lovers southern countries and exotic animals are often kept at home unusual pets. Unfortunately, this is not always safe. And if about poisonous snakes and spiders are aware of many, then only a few know that cute lorises can lead to the death of their owners.

It seems incredible, but among our closest relatives, primates, there are species that are capable of producing a potent poison. Moreover, these cutest creatures are really dangerous to humans: the poison that enters the body when bitten causes anaphylactic shock and death in just 30 minutes.


kalimantan lory

All poisonous primates belong to the genus Slow Loris, of the Lori family. IN currently Among the slow loris, zoologists distinguish five species: the little loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus), the Bengal loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), the Javan loris (Nycticebus javanicus), the slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) and the Kalimantan loris (Nycticebus menagensis). All of these species are poisonous, so take a close look at how they look.

little lory

These unusual animals, leading mainly nocturnal lifestyle, live in tropical forests South-East Asia. They can be found in India, southern China, Bangladesh and the islands of Indonesia. The appearance of slow lorises is in many ways similar to the rest of the family: large round eyes, forward-facing thick and soft fur, small size, very small tail or even its complete absence. Slow lorises do not exceed the size of domestic cats, and their weight ranges from 300-1600 grams, depending on the species.


slow loris

Poison in slow lorises is secreted by the brachial gland, which is located on inside front paws. If necessary, the animal licks it with its tongue and uses it as self-defense. Slow lorises have enough sharp teeth, so they easily bite through the skin, and the poison from the mouth enters the victim's body. After the bite, the victim has an allergic reaction to the toxin. In the case of a person, this leads to anaphylactic shock and death in the absence of medical intervention. Unfortunately, the victim has no more than 30 minutes to save his life.


bengal loris

At home in Southeast Asia, slow lorises often become victims of local residents. They are caught for the manufacture of various drugs. traditional medicine and also for sale as pets.

Javanese lory

There are also such lovers of exotic animals who keep poisonous loris Houses. On the Internet, you can even find information that thick loris, although they have poisonous glands, allegedly do not use them in home conditions. It sounds optimistic, but this is nothing more than a cunning ploy of a seller who wants to sell a live product. In addition, cute slow lorises are often used for photo shoots on various exhibitions, as well as for the entertainment of tourists in tropical countries.


Exotic lovers should know that slow lorises offered on the exotic animal market are exactly that. wild animals, which are caught for sale, and not grown in special nurseries, as sellers sometimes assure. Therefore, we are not talking about any “domestication” and you should not have illusions that lorises will become safe in a couple of months. A tragic incident that happened to the owner of a slow loris in St. Petersburg is widely known: the male, for unknown reasons, became aggressive and bit the girl. The hostess, fortunately, survived, but spent several days in intensive care.

Have you ever seen an alien who was mistakenly thrown on the wrong planet? If not, then you can look at the loris - an animal from South Asia. Because of the slowness of their movements for a long time considered sloths, but in fact - they are semi-monkeys, relatives of lemurs.

Name lemur lory translates as "clown". The touching muzzle of this animal really looks like the make-up of a sad white clown: big eyes surrounded by dark circles. The round body and full paws are reminiscent of a clown baggy suit.

Lori lives in crowns tall trees, where he finds shelter, food and protection from enemies, and almost never descends to the ground. They do not build any nests, and the cubs are born on any suitable branch. The animal is born with open eyes, covered with thick fur and immediately clings to the mother's fur. The first days she wears it on her stomach, feeds him with milk. He can also “travel”, clinging to the skin of his father or older brother, and his mother only takes him to feed.

Lori - nocturnal animals. During the day, they sleep sweetly, curled up in a ball. Feet firmly hold on to the branch, and hide the head between the "legs". From the outside, it looks like a motionless fluffy ball. For rest, they settle in a hollow, on a tree branch, or even better - in a convenient fork between the branches. And at night they go hunting (it is because of the nocturnal lifestyle that loris have such large eyes compared to the body). At lemur lory very good hearing and in the silence of the night they can hear a subtle rustle. The animals are so careful that they move along the branches without moving the leaves, freezing for a long time at the slightest danger.

Lories eat small lizards, bird eggs, succulent leaves and fruits.. But they will not refuse the strong-smelling centipedes, poisonous insects, slow beetles and fluffy caterpillars- everything that is inedible for other animals.

Then they begin to put themselves in order. Lori - big clean! They have 5 fingers on the front and hind legs - just like you and me. And on the ring toes of the "legs" they even have nails that they use for cosmetic purposes to comb their fur and pick out debris. Constantly licking and brushing, putting your coat in order, like a cat, is the most favorite pastime of Loris.

For its size, the animal is very strong. It is almost impossible to tear it off the branch. Even strong man can unclench one paw of a lory with only two hands. However, as soon as he releases this paw to take on the other, the first grabs the branch again with a swift movement, and it is very difficult to tear it off.

Loris love to play with each other. Animals gently push each other, grab a tree branch with their hind legs and hang upside down. They stretch their paws to each other, hug and lightly bite each other. And so they can have fun for half an hour. If relatives are nearby, then they are also unable to resist such fun, and soon the whole flock is involved in the game.

This is interesting

Surprisingly, this primate is poisonous! A serious weapon is hidden on the elbows of the animal - glands with poison. In case of danger, the loris sucks out the deadly substance and mixes it with saliva. Then the bite of the animal becomes fatal. But the animal rarely uses such a serious "weapon".

Slow lorises are one of the five genera of wild animals from the Lori family, consisting of eight species, three of which have been formed more recently. The main species include the following species: Bengal loris, slow loris, Javan loris, Kalimantan loris and pygmy or small thick loris. In 2013, the study of some individuals that previously belonged to the Kalimantan lorises made it possible to identify three more new species - N. borneanus, N. kayan and N. bancanus.

All representatives of the genus are included in the Red Book as vulnerable or endangered species. The export of slow lorises outside their native countries is prohibited by law, threatens with fines and even imprisonment.

The habitat of rare animals extends from Bangladesh and Northeast India to the Philippines and from the Chinese province of Yunnan to the island of Java. They prefer humid tropical forests.

The size of slow loris can vary depending on the species - body length ranges from 18 to 38 cm, and weight - from 300 grams to 1.5 kg. They are nocturnal animals, so nature gave them large eyes with a reflective layer called tapetum, which allows them to see in the dark. The head is rounded, with a short muzzle. The eyes of all representatives of the genus are bordered by dark "glasses" and separated by a light stripe. Perhaps thanks to this appearance, resembling a clown mask, scientists gave the animals the appropriate name - translated from the Dutch "loeris" means "clown". The fur of slow lorises is soft and thick, its color varies from grayish to yellow, the hair on the abdomen is lighter. Another one distinguishing feature- a dark stripe running from the neck along the entire spine. The ears are small and round. The hind and forelimbs are well developed, almost the same length. All fingers of slow loris have nails, with the exception of the second fingers of the hind limbs, which are equipped with "cosmetic" claws intended for grooming.

Exotic representatives of the world of fauna from Asia lead an arboreal lifestyle in natural environment habitation, practically without descending to the ground. They move with the help of four limbs, moving from branch to branch or moving along them along the length. Animals are endowed with an unusually strong grip on their arms and legs, which does not weaken throughout the day. This feature is explained by the special structure of the blood vessels of the limbs, which provides intensive blood circulation and metabolism in the muscles during the movement of the animal.

Slow lorises are nocturnal, spending most (over 90%) of their active period alone. Sometimes they can form pairs or small unstable groups. The day is spent curled up in a fork in the branches of a tree and holding tightly to them with their paws, or located in tree hollows and other suitable shelters that lie at a height. One slow loris can have over 60 favorite places to rest. With the onset of darkness, the animals come to life and go hunting. They slowly travel through vines and tree branches, clinging to them with their fingers. Males regularly mark their boundaries to mark their territory, not forgetting to update these scent marks. In search of food, they may accidentally meet representatives of their own species, with which their individual sites are adjacent. During such meetings, the animals touch each other, engage in mutual combing of wool, or communicate with each other through various postures. However, most often they receive information about a relative they meet with the help of hearing and smell.

Compared to other mammals of a similar size, slow lorises have an extremely slow metabolism, which leads to a very leisurely lifestyle. Their main feature- smooth and somewhat slowed down nature of movements - helps them sneak up on prey unnoticed or hide from enemies. True, when lorises are not scared, they are able to move quite quickly - for example, bypassing the territory and leaving marks.

Depending on the season, the diet of animals consists in various proportions of fruits, plants, tree resin, bird eggs, nectar, insects, terrestrial mollusks and small vertebrates. Animals catch insects with one or both hands, often grabbing branches for better balance with the fingers of their hind limbs. To the main natural enemies Slow lorises include orangutans, pythons and the mutable crested eagles.

Males reach puberty at the age of 17-20 months, females - 18-24 months. Pregnancy lasts 180-190 days, after which the female gives birth to one or two cubs. For the first 14 days, newborn lorises cling tightly to their mother's fur. Sometimes the female carefully removes the baby and puts it in a hollow tree or a secluded fork of branches, where he sits quietly and imperceptibly while the mother gets food. In case of discomfort, the cub emits a loud chirp, and the female hurries to him. It is believed that in the wild, the male does not take part in raising offspring, but in captivity they can take the cubs and carry them on themselves until they get hungry and want to return to the nurse. After 5-7 months, the baby is weaned from the care of the mother, and at the age of 1-1.5 years it becomes old enough for independent living. In captivity, the life expectancy of representatives of the Loriev family is 20-25 years.

Slow lorises are not among the most talkative primates - they use sounds mainly to signal aggression, anxiety, and to communicate with the cub and mother.

Although international trade Since slow lorises are banned and threaten to reduce their population, poachers continue to actively catch and export them for the purpose of selling them as pets. At the same time, the transportation of animals takes place, to put it mildly, not in the most favorable conditions, and many of them die on the road. There is also a serious danger of mass deforestation. rainforest, whose inhabitants are these arboreal animals. World Foundation wildlife makes every effort to increase the population of slow lorises, contributing to their reproduction in reserves and captivity.

Nycticebus

According to 2010 data, Nycticebus consists of four types:
1. Pygmy lory, ( Nycticebuspygmaeus)
2. Javan Lori ( Nycticebusjavanicus)
3. Slow Lori ( Nycticebuscoucang)
4. Bengal Lori ( Nycticebusbengalensis)

The Javan lory was formerly considered a subspecies, but was later relegated to separate species. These semi-monkeys live in different parts South-East Asia.


Habitat of the genusNycticebushighlighted in red. IllustrationPrimateinfoNet.

Slow lorises are primates that live in trees and move along the branches on four legs. They are omnivores and are nocturnal. The basis of the diet of loris are plants and insects. Slow lorises sleep during the day, curled up in a ball in the canopy of trees high above the ground. The predators that pose the main threat to their life are pythons ( Pythonreticulatus), crested eagles ( Spizaetuscirrhatus) and orangutans ( pongopygmaeus). The metabolism of slow lorises is slightly slower than that of mammals of the same size (Gron, 2009).



Colors and coloration of species and subspecies Nycticebus. Illustration taken from the Loris Conservation website.

Different sides of toxicity

The very concept of "poisonous" can have two cardinally different meanings. (IN English language the words “venomous” and “poisonous” can be interchanged in speech, but they mean absolutely not the same thing). So there are toxins that are secreted by a special organ of the animal and become poisonous only when they enter the body of the victim, for example, when bitten ( Englishvenom). They should be distinguished from ready-made poison, which some animals initially produce using special bodies. Such poison enters the body of the victim by inhalation or contact with a poisonous animal ( Englishpoison).



Blue dart frog ( Dendrobatesazureus) is an example of an individual whose mucus contains a strong poison, while spectacle snake (Najanaja) is considered venomous due to its deadly venomous bite.

Brachial gland of slow loris

The flexor or ventral surface of the elbow of the slow loris has a slightly protruding, barely visible knob, which is the brachial gland (Hageyetal., 2006; Kraneetal., 2003). Observations of slow lorises living in captivity have shown that when the animal is disturbed by being handled, it excretes about 10 microliters (μL) of a clear, strong-smelling fluid in the form of apocrine sweat (exudate) from the brachial gland. Usually at this moment, both females and males of slow loris take a protective posture. They tilt their heads down and lift their front paws up, rubbing the secretion from the brachial gland into their head and neck. Loris often lick the brachial gland and rub their head against it. The brachial gland of lorises begins to fully function when they reach the age of 6 weeks (Hageye et al., 2006).



The illustration shows the brachial gland (dark area) on the ventral surface of the foot of a slow loris. Drawing by Helga Schulze (Kraneetal., 2003).

The secret of the brachial gland and the allergenFeld 1

The brachial gland produces an allergen similar to that produced by cats (Hageye et al., 2006; Kraneetal., 2003). This secret of the brachial gland is similar to the feline not only in sequence, but also in the structure of the heterodimeric disulfide bond. Fel D 1 allergen is found mainly in the saliva and sebaceous glands of domestic cats, Feliscatus. People who are allergic to cats react to 5 allergens produced by domestic cats, among which Fel D 1. However, the biological function of Fel D 1 is still currently unknown (Grönlund et al., 2010).

So are slow lorises really poisonous?

In order to answer this question, let's once again recall the difference in the definition of the word "poisonous". A venomous animal injects toxins into the victim's body when bitten. An animal whose body produces toxins can only be potentially poisonous if those toxins enter the victim's body through inhalation or absorption. Literary sources they say that people become victims of loris venom due to a bite, and not because the poison enters the human body through contact with a primate. So are lorises venomous? Not really.

Slow lorises have needle-sharp teeth in their lower jaws. Given the constant habit of licking the brachial gland, it is not surprising that the sharp teeth and secretion of the brachial gland are related to the poisoning of an unsuspecting victim. However, this is not the main thing.

The sharp toothcomb, which can look quite menacing, is mainly for grooming, and therefore its function is less sinister than imagined. The bite of a slow loris is so painful precisely because of the sharpness of the teeth.


Illustration of slow loris teeth taken from the siteLorisconservation. The tooth comb is located on the lower jaw and is shaped like a spade.

According to Wilde's (1972) reports, victims of slow loris bites go into anaphylactic shock (an extreme manifestation of an allergic reaction) followed by hematuria. Despite this, they always recover. There are no clinical signs toxic substances in the saliva of the slow loris, which could support the myth that they are poisonous (Wilde, 1972).

A 34-year-old woman, 19 weeks pregnant, was bitten by a pygmy loris at the zoo where she worked. She only complained of a sharp pain in the place where she had been bitten. No allergic reactions, let alone anaphylactic shock, were noted (Kalimullah et al., 2008).

Slow loris bite reports are not often accompanied by pictures. However, based on such reports, it can be concluded that the loris bite is not venomous at all (Kalimullah et al., 2008; Wilde, 1972). In view of the similarity between loris brachial secretion allergen and Feld 1 allergen in domestic cats, the anaphylactic shock described by victims of lory bites is probably nothing more than a reaction to the secretion allergen.

What is the function of the brachial gland in this case?

Hagei (2007) states that the brachial gland is used as an olfactory signaling to mark home and territory boundaries. Most nocturnal primates rely on their sense of smell, and the slow loris is no exception. Since the secretion of the brachial gland is a response to stress or danger, its function may be to deter predators, warn other lorises of danger, or both (Hagey et al., 2006).

I look forward to learning more about these prosimians and the properties of their brachial gland secretion. A much deeper study of the evidence of loris bites is needed in order to ascertain the effect of brachial gland secretion on humans.

Are slow lorises really venomous?

Listliterature :

Gron, KJ. 2009. Primate Factsheets: Slow Loris (Nycticebus) Taxonomy, Morphology & Ecology. Primate Info Net October 19, 2010

Grönlund, H. Saarne, T. Gafvelin, G. van Hage, M. 2010. The Major Cat Allergen, Fel d 1, in Diagnosis and Therapy. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 151(4): 265-274.

Hagey, L. R. Fry, BG. Fitch-Snyder, H. 2007. Talking Defensively: A Dual Use for the Brachial Gland Exudate of Slow and Pygmy Lorises. Primate Anti-Predatory Strategies 2: 253-272

Krane, S. Itagaki, Y. Nakanishi, K. Weldon, PJ. 2003. “Venom” of the slow loris: sequence similarity of prosimian skin gland protein and Fel d 1 cat allergen. Naturwissenschaften 90: 60-62.

Kalimullah, EA. Schmidt, S. M. Schmidt, MJ. Lu, JJ. 2008. Beware the Pygmy Slow Loris? Clinical Toxicology 46(7): 602.

Wilde, H. 1972. Anaphylactic Shock Following Bite by a ‘Slow Loris’, Nycticebus coucang. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 21(5): 592-594.

Common name for the animal lemur lory became known for expensive acquisitions of exotic animals as pets the size of a pet.

This mammal belongs to the few surviving oldest animals on the planet. All representatives of the species are classified as protected objects and are included in.

Features and habitat

It is easy to remember the animal, having once seen its large eyes, surrounded by dark spots and separated by a yellowish stripe. Nature endowed him with good night vision thanks to the reflective substance tapetum, which allows him to navigate in the dark. The eyes may have given rise to the corresponding name "Loeris", translated from the Dutch language - "clown".

In 1766, the French naturalist Georges Buffon called the loris a semi-ape (lemur), while he was considered slow. Today there are three main types:

  • thin lory;
  • thick loris (lemur lory);
  • pygmy (small) loris.

Each species is divided into several subspecies. Zoologists consider them to be varieties of wet-nosed primates, mistakenly classified as.

The forests of South and Southeast Asia in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, India are places where funny animals are distributed. Homeland is considered to be Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore.

The body of the animal, in accordance with the species, varies in size from 20 to 40 cm, and weight from 0.3 to 1.6 kg. Loris are covered with short dense and soft brownish or yellow-gray fur.

Pictured is a thin lory

The belly is always lighter in color. A dark stripe always runs along the spine like a belt. Small head with a short muzzle. The ears are small and rounded. The tail is either completely absent, or protrudes by 1.7-2 cm and is covered with hair, therefore it is hardly noticeable. lori fat distinguished by the presence of white patches on the head.

The fore and hind limbs are approximately equal in size, equipped with grasping and tenacious hands and feet. The fingers have nails, among which there are special "cosmetic" claws for grooming.

Unusual big-eyed animals live on the tops of trees, in dense crowns. Different types live in lowland forests or high in the mountains. They almost never descend to the ground, they lead an arboreal lifestyle.

Pictured is a fat lory

Loris are often called slow for indifference to sharp and fast movements. Sad eyes emphasize their individual expressiveness.

Character and lifestyle

Lemur lory - animal night. Activity comes in the evening, night is the time of hunting, and the animal falls asleep only after the sun rises. Bright light it is contraindicated for them, from the dazzling rays they can go blind and die. Twilight is a comfortable living environment.

They sleep in fur balls on trees, holding onto a branch with their feet and hiding their heads in their legs. The animal can find a convenient place to rest in a hollow or a fork in the branches.

Loris move slowly, carefully, clasping branches from below with all paws. At the slightest danger, they freeze and can remain motionless for a long time, without moving a single leaf, until the threat from some predatory animal has passed. night bird. Animals have excellent hearing.

They are naturally curious and playful. They explore and know their territories well. The animals are very tenacious and strong for their small size, limbs are ideally suited for climbing branches.

It is known that lorises, in addition to hunting for insects and small vertebrates, remove the bark of individual trees and drink the juice that stands out. In nature, they never suffer from periodontal disease. There are individualistic lorises who have their own plots and lead a solitary lifestyle. And some species do not tolerate loneliness, live in pairs.

They usually live in captivity couples or groups (a male and several females or a parent pair and cubs). Loris protect their territory from random intrusions of relatives.

They always keep secretly, in the thick of green branches at a height, which complicates research behind them. Many conclusions are made on the basis of the study of animals in captivity, on the basis of research centers.

Loris voices are different: at a great distance you can hear a whistle, near you can hear the chirping with cubs. Animals have the ability to communicate in an ultrasonic range that is indistinguishable to humans. You can watch the animals silently pushing each other with their paws.

The exchange of information may be going on in parallel at another level. Sometimes a ball of fur is formed from several lorises intertwined with limbs and hanging on a tree.

This is how they communicate, play, have their own section of tidbits, and define an internal hierarchy. The seemingly harmless animal has a secret and terrible weapon. The elbows of the animal melt glands with poison, the contents of which are sucked out and mixed with saliva. The bite can be fatal. But, fortunately, such a danger overtakes the loris infrequently, secret weapon applied in exceptional cases.

Feeding the lemur lory

In nature, the diet of loris is filled with various crickets, lizards, and their eggs. A feature of loris is the ability to eat poisonous caterpillars and insects, as well as to use the resin of trees. Plant food also occupies an important place: fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowering parts of plants, Lori never refuses.

In captivity, animals are fed with baby cereals with the addition of oils, honey, fresh juices, vitamin complexes, and dried fruits. It should be noted that individual individuals have their own taste preferences and habits. In general, the diet should be rich in calcium and protein.

Lori domestic lemur can be tamed if the favorite food is received from the hands of the owner. Insects for feeding should be purchased from pet stores to avoid infections from street accidental vectors.

Reproduction and lifespan

Animals are selective in search of a couple, not always individuals of different sexes can form a family. Pregnancy lasts a little more than 6 months and, as a rule, 1-2 cubs are born. Babies appear covered with fur, with open eyes. They cling tightly to the mother's belly, clinging to the wool.

The female carries the cub on herself for about 1.5-2 months. Lactation lasts approximately 4-5 months. Babies can wander from mother to father or close relative, hang on them, and then move to mother for feeding.

Parents take care of the offspring together, but maternal activity is still higher. Only after a year and a half, the stronger offspring become independent and begin to start their own families.

Life expectancy is 12-14 years on average. Examples are known when good care significantly increased lifespan lemur lory.How many live in captivity, depends on the absence of infections and the creation of conditions close to natural. Animals can survive up to 20-25 years.

Unfortunately, there was a fashion for breeding lori. Price funny animal is high, but exotic lovers are trying to do business on the content for the sale of young animals lemur lory. Buy an animal is possible, but without special knowledge and skills in dealing with an ancient genus, it is difficult to win the trust of a big-eyed primate.