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Nonhuman primates display rich reproductive diversity. Males in multi-male, multi-female mating systems exhibit large testes, complex penile morphology and copulation patterns, and frequently ejaculate large numbers of highly motile sperm. These attributes are relatively absent in males within single male-single female mating systems. Female lemurs, lorises and tarsiers exhibit estrous cycles, small New World primates (NWP) exhibit ovarian cycles, while larger NWP and all Old World (OW) monkeys and apes exhibit menstrual cycles. NWP express specific molecular differences to OW primate hormone regulatory systems. Higher NW and OW female primates are relatively emancipated from hormone determination of sexual behavior.

Objectives Slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are obligate exudativores that gouge tree bark. Dental adaptations for gouging within marmosets, the only other known primate obligate exudativore, are well-known but dental adaptations in Nycticebus are largely unidentified. In an effort to more completely understand potential dental adaptions within Nycticebus and the evolution of this dietary niche within Primates as an order, the present study examined dental morphometrics in the Asian lorises (Nycticebus and Loris). Materials and Methods We compared dental morphometrics between Nycticebus and the insectivorous slender lorises (Loris). Measurements from the toothcomb and select other teeth were taken from 92 specimens. Each variable was scaled by the geometric mean and resulting mean ratios were statistically compared between groups. A biomechanical shape variable was also calculated to estimate the ability of the toothcomb to resist bending that may be experienced during gouging. Results Toothcombs in Nycticebus were significantly (P

Galago senegalensis is a habitual arboreal leaper that engages in rapid spinal extension during push-off. Large muscle excursions and high contraction velocities are important components of leaping, and experimental studies indicate that during leaping by G. senegalensis, peak power is facilitated by elastic storage of energy. To date, however, little is known about the functional relationship between epaxial muscle fiber architecture and locomotion in leaping primates. Here, fiber architecture of select epaxial muscles is compared between G. senegalensis (n = 4) and the slow arboreal quadruped, Nycticebus coucang (n = 4). The hypothesis is tested that G. senegalensis exhibits architectural features of the epaxial muscles that facilitate rapid and powerful spinal extension during the take-off phase of leaping. As predicted, G. senegalensis epaxial muscles have relatively longer, less pinnate fibers and higher ratios of tendon length-to-fiber length, indicating the capacity for generating relatively larger muscle excursions, higher whole-muscle contraction velocities, and a greater capacity for elastic energy storage. Thus, the relatively longer fibers and higher tendon length-to-fiber length ratios can be functionally linked to leaping performance in G. senegalensis. It is further predicted that G. senegalensis epaxial muscles have relatively smaller physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSAs) as a consequence of an architectural trade-off between fiber length (excursion) and PCSA (force). Contrary to this prediction, there are no species differences in relative PCSAs, but the smaller-bodied G. senegalensis trends towards relatively larger epaxial muscle mass. These findings suggest that relative increase in muscle mass in G. senegalensis is largely attributable to longer fibers. The relative increase in erector spinae muscle mass may facilitate sagittal flexibility during leaping. The similarity between species in relative PCSAs provides empirical support for previous work linking osteological features of the vertebral column in lorisids with axial stability and reduced muscular effort associated with slow, deliberate movements during anti-pronograde locomotion.

Slow lorises Nycticebus spp. have one of the widest distributions of any nocturnal primate species, occurring in 14 Asian countries; yet, in terms of their taxonomy, ecology and dis- tribution, they remain amongst the least known of any primate taxa. Eight species are now recog- nised; 5 of these have been listed in the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable or Critically Endangered, with 3 Not Assessed. Threats to these primates not only include habitat loss, but the illegal wildlife trade. Slow lorises are highly desired in traditional medicines, and as pets both nationally and internationally. In this Theme Section (www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-specials/conservation- and-ecology-of-slow-lorises), we bring together 13 studies on several key topics. We present sur- vey data from the Indonesian island of Java, from Malaysian Sabah on the island of Borneo, from northeast India and from Singapore. All of these studies concur that slow lorises occur at low abundance, but that, where they are left alone, they can also persist in anthropogenically modified habitats. We present novel data on the feeding ecology of slow lorises, reifying that these primates are obligate exudativores. Such data are vital for keeping lorises in captivity; in 3 studies, an exudate-based diet is shown to improve health and reduce behavioural abnormalities. We show that local knowledge can provide vital data regarding slow loris distribution and in helping with conservation programmes for these taxa. The illegal trade for slow lorises is consistently brought up as a threat, and another contribution shows that a similar trend is also occurring with their phy- logenetic relatives in Africa, the pottos. We highlight several areas where more research is needed and provide suggestions to fill those gaps.

What is your image of the child? What is your perception of Loris Malaguzzi and the schools of Reggio Emilia? Here, Peter Moss reflects on the life, work and influence of one the great early years pioneers.

The Popham’s Arboretum, a small regenerated forest patch located in a highly urbanized setting in Dambulla, is home to a small population of the Grey Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus). Here we report on the habitat selection of the Grey Slender Loris within the arboretum. Nocturnal surveys were conducted on 20 days during three sampling sessions between September 2016 to June 2017. The majority of the 55 loris sightings made during the survey period were concentrated within the core areas of the forest. These sightings were geo-referenced and marked for habitat sampling. A total of twenty 10x10 m quadrates centered on these sightings (n=13) and additional quadrates located where no sightings were made during the survey (n=7), were used for the habitat analyses. Six habitat parameters previously shown to be important for the loris; % canopy cover, mean DBH, total abundance of plants over 10 cm GBH, species richness of plants, number of creepers and the distance to the forest edge were recorded for each quadrate. Further, temperature and relative humidity within each of the quadrates were also recorded between 1900 and 1800 hrs. Results indicate a significant differences in four of these parameters (species richness of trees, canopy cover, distance to the forest boundary and relative humidity) between areas of the forest that were used and those that were not used by the loris (p

Extensive phylogenetic studies have found robust phylogenies are modeled by using a multi-gene approach and sampling from the majority of the taxa of interest. Yet, molecular studies focused on the lorises, a cryptic primate family, have often relied on one gene, or just mitochondrial DNA, and many were unable to include all four genera in the analyses, resulting in inconclusive phylogenies. Past phylogenetic loris studies resulted in lorises being monophyletic, paraphyletic, or an unresolvable trichotomy with the closely related galagos. The purpose of our study is to improve our understanding of loris phylogeny and evolutionary history by using a multi-gene approach. We used the mitochondrial genes cytochrome b, and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, along with a nuclear intron (recombination activating gene 2) and nuclear exon (the melanocortin 1 receptor). Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on data from each locus, as well as on the concatenated sequences. The robust, concatenated results found lorises to be a monophyletic family (Lorisidae) (PP ≥ 0.99) with two distinct subfamilies: the African Perodictinae (PP ≥ 0.99) and the Asian Lorisinae (PP ≥ 0.99). Additionally, from these analyses all four genera were all recovered as monophyletic (PP ≥ 0.99). Some of our single-gene analyses recovered monophyly, but many had discordances, with some showing paraphyly or a deep-trichotomy. Bayesian partitioned analyses inferred the most recent common ancestors of lorises emerged ∼42 ± 6 million years ago (mya), the Asian Lorisinae separated ∼30 ± 9 mya, and Perodictinae arose ∼26 ± 10 mya. These times fit well with known historical tectonic shifts of the area, as well as with the sparse loris fossil record. Additionally, our results agree with previous multi-gene studies on Lorisidae which found lorises to be monophyletic and arising ∼40 mya ( Perelman et al., 2011 , Pozzi et al., 2014 ). By taking a multi-gene approach, we were able to recover a well-supported, monophyletic loris phylogeny and inferred the evolutionary history of this cryptic family.

© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Objectives: Synthesize information on sleep patterns, sleep site use, and daytime predation at sleep sites in lorisiforms of Asia and Africa (10 genera, 36 species), and infer patterns of evolution of sleep site selection. Materials and methods: We conducted fieldwork in 12 African and six Asian countries, collecting data on sleep sites, timing of sleep and predation during daytime. We obtained additional information from literature and through correspondence. Using a phylogenetic approach, we established ancestral states of sleep site selection in lorisiforms and traced their evolution. Results: The ancestral lorisiform was a fur-clinger and used dense tangles and branches/forks as sleep sites. Use of tree holes and nests as sleep sites emerged ∼22 Mya (range 17–26 Mya) in Africa, and use of bamboo emerged ∼11 (7–14) Mya in Asia and later in Africa. Fur clinging and some sleep sites (e.g., tree holes, nests, but not bamboo or dense tangles) show strong phylogenetic signal. Nests are used by Galagoides, Paragalago, Galago and Otolemur; tree holes by Galago, Paragalago, Sciurocheirus and Perodicticus; tangles by Nycticebus, Loris, Galagoides, Galago, Euoticus, Otolemur, Perodicticus and Arctocebus; all but Sciurocheirus and Otolemur additionally sleep on branches/forks. Daytime predation may affect sleep site selection and sleep patterns in some species of Nycticebus, Galago, Galagoides, Otolemur and Perodicticus. Most lorisiforms enter their sleep sites around sunrise and leave around sunset; several are active during twilight or, briefly, during daytime. Conclusion: Variations in sleep behavior, sleep patterns and vulnerability to daytime predation provide a window into the variation that was present in sleep in early primates. Overall, lorisiforms use the daytime for sleeping and no species can be classified as cathemeral or polycyclic.

Midfacial reduction in primates has been explained as a byproduct of other growth patterns, especially the convergent orbits. This is at once an evolutionary and developmental explanation for relatively short snouts in most modern primates. Here, we use histological sections of perinatal nonhuman primates (tamarin, tarsier, loris) to investigate how orbital morphology emerges during ontogeny in selected primates compared to another euarchontan (Tupaia glis). We annotated serial histological sections for location of osteoclasts or osteoblasts, and used these to create three-dimensional “modeling maps” showing perinatal growth patterns of the facial skeleton. In addition, in one specimen we transferred annotations from histological sections to CT slices, to create a rotatable 3D volume that shows orbital modeling. Our findings suggest that growth in the competing orbital and neurocranial functional matrices differs among species, influencing modeling patterns. Distinctions among species are observed in the frontal bone, at a shared interface between the endocranial fossa and the orbit. The medial orbital wall is extensively resorptive in primates, whereas the medial orbit is generally depositional in Tupaia. As hypothesized, the orbital soft tissues encroach on available interorbital space. However, eye size cannot, by itself, explain the extent of reduction of the olfactory recess. In Loris, the posterior portion of medial orbit differed from the other primates. It showed evidence of outward drift where the olfactory bulb increased in cross-sectional area. We suggest the olfactory bulbs are significant to orbit position in strepsirrhines, influencing an expanded interorbital breadth at early stages of development. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:424–435, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Patterns of mortality in captive animals can reveal potentially problematic care practices or other risk factors that may negatively impact animal health and population sustainability. We reviewed death records (necropsy and/or histopathology reports) for 367 lorises and pottos born between 1980 and 2010 that were housed in 33 North American zoos and related facilities. Our sample included 20 Loris tardigradus nordicus, 72 L. t. tardigradus, 109 Nycticebus coucang, 133 N. pygmaeus, and 33 Perodicticus potto. In all 5 groups, neonates (animals 20% of animals showed signs of disease included the cardiovascular and hemolymphatic, endocrine and metabolic, gastrointestinal, and immunologic systems. Our results indicate that reducing neonatal mortality is a major priority for sustaining these species in captivity, and common practices for managing groups during the perinatal period should be carefully scrutinized. Other areas in need of further investigation are environmental contributions to neoplastic and infectious disease, and dietary contributions to chronic degenerative conditions.

The size and pattern of a primate home range depends basically on the availability of distribution of food, the density of the group, free-ranging species and geographical factors. When considering about Sri Lankan primates; Sri Lanka is home to five primate species. Three species belongs to catarrhines, the toque monkey (Macaca sinica), the purple-faced langur (S. vetulus), the grey langur (S. priam thersites) and two or more species of the slender loris (Loris spp.). This study was conducted in Mihinthale wildlife sanctuary and focused on the home range of the toque monkey (Macaca sinica sinica), the purple-faced leaf langur (S. vetulus philbrick), and the grey langur (S. priam thersites). Preliminary observations were started from January 2015 to May of 2015. Intensive data collection was started from May 2015 to September, 2016. Behavioural observations were conducted for 136 days. Three groups were selected randomly to represent all three species for this long term study. Home range data was collected by observations of daily path range of the three species. To determine the actual home range of the three species GPS points and hard copies of maps of the site were used. GIS maps were created to illustrate the area used by each species. The results of the home range sizes of each species indicated that the purple-faced –leaf langur’s home range is the largest among the three species. All macaque groups have a minimum home range when compare with the other two langur species. Macaques mainly depend on human-supplied food and hardly depend on the food from the forest, hence recording the smallest home range among the three primate species. The study concludes that purple - faced leaf langur’s home range is the largest home range than gray langur and toque macaque. Gray langur’s home range is larger than toque macaques and smaller than purple-faced leaf langur. Toque macaque has the smallest home range. The identified two main factors for this difference are the availability of food and the density of groups in the given area. KEYWORDS: food availability, group size, Diurnal, Primate, Home Range

TPS603 Background: Retrospective data suggest breast cancer-specific survival rates with versus without surgery in patients with low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are similar. Some DCIS patients have a low likelihood of progression to invasive cancer, but predicting who is at risk has not been established. Thus, treatment with a well-balanced risk / benefit ratio has not been achieved. Four active surveillance clinical trials for low risk DCIS have commenced in the United Kingdom (LORIS), Europe (LORD), United States (COMET), and Japan (LORETTA). We aim to examine the effectiveness & safety of active surveillance compared with surgical based treatment approaches for low-risk DCIS patients. Methods: Non surgical approaches are of the two types; active surveillance (AS) alone and AS + endocrine therapy (ET). In the randomized trials LORIS and LORD, the study arms are AS only, but while ET is an option in COMET, ET is mandatory in the single arm trial LORETTA. COMET and LORETTA have broader inclusion criteria as compared to LORIS and LORD. In COMET, comedo necrosis is eligible. In LORETTA, findings other than calcification on mammography (MMG) are also eligible (e.g. low echo area on breast ultrasound). Leaders of the four trials hold regular meetings to foster international DCIS trials collaboration to share information. LORIS Clinical trial information: ISRCTN27544579, LORD Clinical trial information: NCT02492607, COMET Clinical trial information: NCT02926911, LORETTA Clinical trial information: UMIN000028298 [JCOG1505]. Clinical trial information: UMIN000028298, NCT02492607, NCT02926911, ISRCTN27544579. [Table: see text]

Primate survival in disturbed forests can be governed by a complex of forest variables. For nocturnal arboreal primates, determining these ecological features is notoriously difficult but is critically important for their conservation. Here we assessed the effects of forest type, food availability, human disturbance, and forest structure on the nocturnal Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) in Sakaerat Biosphere, north-east Thailand, a small disturbed fragment containing dry evergreen, dry dipterocarp, and plantation forests. Distance sampling revealed plantation forest had the highest density estimate (27 loris/km2 ) followed by dry evergreen forest (17 loris/km2 ), while dry dipterocarp forest only had four detections. Based on forest type selection analyses, loris had a positive association with sap and fruit-flower productivity which was highest in plantation forest compared to the natural dry evergreen or dry dipterocarp forests. Furthermore, forest structure selection analysis indicated loris preferred denser canopies. Loris presence was positively associated with canopy height, canopy connections, tree trunk vegetation cover, and canopy density. The higher loris density found in the plantations, as also reported by other studies, was associated with dense vegetation structure and higher food productivity, particularly sap. However, the important structural features found in the plantation forest are strongly dependent on forest maturity, and the reduced longevity of such exotic tree species may limit the conservation importance of plantation forest, merely acting as a short-term alternative to natural habitat.

Throughout much of Asia, slow lorises (Nycticebus) and tarsiers (Tarsius) live allopatrically, but on several islands, including Sumatra and Borneo, they occur in sympatry. Dwindling habitats could result in resource competition within these sympatric populations, as the diets of these species overlap. To assess the possibility of resource competition, we gathered data from the literature on the abundance and microhabitat structure of slow loris and tarsier species throughout their ranges. We also estimated abundances of Bornean lorises Nycticebus menagen- sis and western tarsiers Tarsius bancanus borneanus and investigated their habitat use in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We predicted that species living sympatrically would favor different heights, and thus different microhabitat structures from congeners, and have lower abundances compared with allopatric species because of limiting factors. Across their ranges, loris density did not vary regardless of whether they were allopatric or sympatric. However, across sympatric and allopatric tarsier ranges, there were significant differences in densities (sympatric: 3!27 ind. km !2 , allopatric: 57!268 ind. km !2 ). Microhabitat use varied significantly between sympatric and allopatric loris populations (p = 0.036) but not between sympatric and allopatric tarsier populations. Our results, although based on a limited amount of data, suggest that tarsiers are impacted by the presence of slow lorises in their habits, and these populations should be monitored, especially as habitat sizes dwindle and resources continue to become scarce.

The presence of a stable thoracolumbar region, found in many arboreal mammals, is considered advantageous for bridging and cantilevering between discontinuous branches. However, no study has directly explored the link between osteological features cited as enhancing axial stability and the frequency of cantilevering and bridging behaviors in a terminal branch environment. To fill this gap, we collected metric data on costal and vertebral morphology of primate and nonprimate mammals known to cantilever and bridge frequently and those that do not. We also quantified the frequency and duration of cantilevering and bridging behaviors using experimental setups for species that have been reported to show differences in use of small branches and back anatomy (Caluromys philander, Loris tardigradus, Monodelphis domestica, and Cheirogaleus medius). Phylogenetically corrected principal component analysis reveals that taxa employing frequent bridging and cantilevering (C. philander and lorises) also exhibit reduced intervertebral and intercostal spaces, which can serve to increase thoracolumbar stability, when compared to closely related species (M. domestica and C. medius). We observed C. philander cantilevering and bridging significantly more often than M. domestica, which never cantilevered or crossed any arboreal gaps. Although no difference in the frequency of cantilevering was observed between L. tardigradus and C. medius, the duration of cantilevering bouts was significantly greater in L. tardigradus. These data suggest that osteological features promoting axial rigidity may be part of a morpho-behavioral complex that increases stability in mammals moving and foraging in a terminal branch environment.

A 10·5 year-old ♀ Pygmy slow loris Nycticebus pygmaeus at ZSL London Zoo was examined as part of a routine health check. Abdominal palpation revealed a discrete, mobile mass that appeared to be arising from the right ovary. The mass was surgically removed. Histopathological examination of the mass confirmed it to be a dysgerminoma. The loris showed no signs of recurrence or metastasis for the next 4 years, when it was euthanized for unrelated reasons. In human beings, metastasis is not infrequently associated with dysgerminomas but there is large variation in the incidence of metastasis among species. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first reported case of dysgerminoma from a Pygmy slow loris, one of only four cases reported in any prosimian species, and is the first case in a prosimian with clinical follow-up.

Few primate species are known to excavate plant sources to procure exudates and other foods via active gouging. It is now apparent that slow lorises belong to this rare guild of obligate exudativorous primates. We investigate the diet of the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) in a mixed deciduous forest in the Seima Protection Forest, Eastern Cambodia, and attempted to determine the importance of this resource in their diet. Feeding behaviors of six females and seven males were observed using radio-tracking to facilitate follows, and nine fecal samples were collected in February-May and January-March in 2008 and 2009 respectively. We observed 168 feeding bouts, during which the animals ate exudates (76); fruits (33); arthropods (27); flower parts (21); fungi (3); parts of bamboo culms (7); and reptiles (1). We filmed 19 bouts of exudativory, and observed animals consuming exudates in an orthograde posture, or standing quadrupedally over the exudate source. Pygmy lorises also gouged bamboo to collect lichen and fungi, or broke open dead culms to access invertebrates. Feeding occurred on terminal tree branches (24), tree trunks (21), bamboo (13), the middle of branches (7), and the undergrowth (1). The fecal samples contained plant parts, small-sized arthropods (primarily Coleoptera and Lepidoptera), reptile scales, animal bones, and animal hairs. Pygmy slow lorises are morphologically specialized for processing and digesting exudates, displaying small body sizes, specialized dentitions, elongated, and narrow tongues, large caecums, short duodenums, expanded volar pads, and modified hindlimbs. These features, combined with the prevalence of exudates in their diet across seasons, and ill health when exudates are missing from their diet in captivity, points to this species being an obligate exudativore.

Necropsies were performed in 25 slender lorises (Loris tardigradus) from a colony at Bochum University. In seven adult individuals, teeth were missing, loose, or severely affected by dental calculus. In one of these cases, a severe periodontal disease was seen without abscess formation. In another four lorises purulent/gangrenous inflammation was found next to the teeth either in the maxillary or the mandibular region.

In this communication, we document the local knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of slender lorises among the indigenous Kani community in the southern Western Ghats; document new records of Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus in the Agasthyamalai Hills; and discuss in detail a poorly known threat to these primates. Although not kept as pets due to their physical appearance, and belief that they would bring bad luck, the Kani community however captured slender lorises for wildlife photographers. Similar instances of loris abuse in various parts of south India were revealed upon analyzing photographs from a popular internet-based wildlife photography site. We recommend that strict guidelines be formulated for photographing lorises, and suggest that novel and ethical tourism initiatives be set up involving local communities to cater to wildlife photographers and tourists.

Weighing between 10 and 12 kg, the siamang is nearly twice as large as most hylobatids. Why siamangs retained or acquired this larger size is not yet well understood. While small gibbons are allopatric, the siamang is sympatric with two small hylobatid species, agile gibbons on the island of Sumatra and white-handed gibbons in northern Sumatra and the Malaysian peninsula, Indonesia. Increases in body size within evolutionary lineages over time are often seen as expressions of Cope’s rule, which describes the general evolutionary tendency of all living things to increase in size with increasing lineage age, based on assumed, although often unverified, selective advantages associated with larger body size. However, when considering selection pressures that may have lead to a within-lineage body size increase over time, the more favorable mass-to-surface ratio of the larger forms should be taken into account instead of size per se. Using data on body mass and body dimension from the literature, we performed simple calculations of body proportions of small gibbons and the larger siamang and compared these to orangutan and loris body sizes in order to evaluate whether the siamang’s larger size could be explained by a more favorable mass-to-surface ratio. To calculate relative body surface areas we adopted a model in which the body is represented as a combination of five simple cylinders (i.e., body stem, 2 forelimbs, and 2 hindlimbs). As expected, we found that, within the tested primate lineages, the species with the larger mass has the relatively smaller surface area compared to the species with the smaller mass. Thus, our results are in agreement with the idea that a larger body size may have evolved in the siamang due to advantages related to a more favorable mass-to-surface ratio. At present, the exact selective advantage of a lower surface involve per kilogram body weight of siamang is unclear, but we speculate that it may be related to relatively lower energy expenditure, which may have allowed the siamang to successfully inhabit a broader range of habitats, including higher elevation areas, and thereby may have reduced competition with the sympatric smaller gibbons.

More species of nocturnal primates are now recognized than in the past, because many are cryptic species. Subtle morphological disparities, such as pelage pattern and color variation, vocal cues, and genetics have aided in elucidating the number of diagnosable species in a genus. The slow lorises (genus Nycticebus) once included only two species, but recent taxonomic studies resulted in the description of three additional species; further incompletely explored variability characterizes each of the currently described species. The Bornean loris in particular is characterized by pelage and body size variation. In this study, we explored facemask variation in the Bornean loris (N. menagensis). Differing facemask patterns, particularly influenced by the amount of white on the face, significantly clustered together by geographic regions, separated by notable geographic boundaries. Our results support the recognition of four species of Bornean lorises: N. menagensis, N. bancanus, N. borneanus, and N. kayan. Genetic studies are required to support these findings and to refine further our understanding of the marked variability within the Bornean loris populations. Am. J. Primatol. 75:46-56, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Zoos and related facilities in North America currently manage five species in the primate family Lorisidae: the greater (Nycticebus coucang), Bengal (N. bengalensis) and pygmy (N. pygmaeus) slow lorises, red slender loris (Loris tardigradus), and potto (Perodicticus potto). We used an online survey to describe institutional housing and husbandry practices for these species and assess the extent to which practices are consistent with established guidelines. Our results show that most captive lorisids are housed solitarily or in pairs. Most individuals occupy a single exhibit space in a building dedicated to nocturnal animals. Facilities are commonly meeting recommendations for abiotic exhibit design and are providing animals with an enriched environment. However, pottos and slender lorises currently occupy exhibit spaces smaller than the recommended minimum, and the impact of cleaning protocols on olfactory communication should be critically evaluated. Few facilities are taking advantage of the benefits of positive reinforcement training for promoting animal welfare. Research is greatly needed on the effects of exhibit lighting on behavior, health, and reproduction; and to determine how best to manage the social needs of lorisids with naturally dispersed social structures. Although captive populations of slender lorises, pottos, and slow lorises are declining, we suggest that improved husbandry knowledge has the potential to positively influence population sustainability and to enhance future efforts to manage the growing pygmy loris population. Zoo Biol. 32:88-100, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Information on a species’ distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements is important for formalizing a comprehensive management and conservation strategy. This becomes an even higher priority when the distribution of a species lies largely outside demarcated protected areas for wildlife. We used line transect distance sampling to estimate the density of an arboreal, nocturnal, and threatened primate, the slender loris (Loris lyddekerianus lyddekerianus) across diverse habitat types including both reserve forests and production landscapes in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Abundance estimates varied from 0.16 individuals/ha in Devrayandurga State Forest to 2.57 individulas/ha in Ippadi State Forest, with the mean density estimate being highest in the Forest Division of Tumkur, at 165 individuals/km2. Based on density estimates for the survey regions, their current habitat status, and perceived threats, we identify Ippadi, Ujjani, Devrayandurga, and Savanadurga state forests as priority areas for conservation of the slender loris. We propose that these areas be declared protected. The required management intervention is preventing further degradation of the habitat and enhancing canopy contiguity to facilitate loris movement.

Gray slender lorises (Loris lydekkerianus) are 1 of 2 nocturnal primate genera occurring in India. Although the distribution and abundance of the species is known for some parts of southern India, the relative distribution of the 2 subspecies, Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus and L. l. malabaricus, and their comparative densities and extent of overlap between their distributions remains largely unknown. We investigated the distribution pattern and relative density of slender lorises in the Western Ghats mountain range in the state of Kerala in southern India. We surveyed 36 forest ranges in 17 forest divisions of northern and central Kerala from February to November 2009 for the presence of lorises. We sighted slender lorises in 22 forest ranges in a variety of vegetation types, and the relative abundance of the species ranged from 0.02 to 1.44 lorises/km. Our results confirm that both loris subspecies are present in Kerala: Mysore slender lorises have a narrow patchy distribution on the eastern edges of the Western Ghats mountain range, and Malabar slender lorises have a fairly contiguous distribution on the western slopes of the Western Ghats. We recommend more detailed surveys in southern Kerala to identify the distribution patterns of the subspecies in these areas.

The detailed systematic morphology and comparative anatomy of the autonomic cardiac nervous system (ACNS) with its surrounding structures were examined in 14 sides of 7 Lorisiformes species (lorises and galagos) to consider its evolutionary differences and similarities to others in the primate lineage. Our detailed descriptions clarified that (1) a family-dependent morphology of the ACNS does not exist although several variations are recognized as common variation in Lorisiformes, (2) the morphology of the ACNS in Lorisiformes is almost consistent regardless of the number of presacral vertebrae and cardiac positions, and (3) the ACNS morphology in Lorisiformes is extremely different from that in New and Old World monkeys, gibbons, and human, specifically in a narrower contribution of the superior cervical ganglion to the spinal cervical nerves, the caudal position and organization of the cervicothoracic ganglion, and the narrower origins of the sympathetic cardiac nerves, although all parasympathetic vagal cardiac branches are consistently present among the primates. Based on these detailed findings, the systematic and evolutionary morphologies of the ACNS are discussed and compared with our previous works. These results suggest the primate ACNS preserves its evolutionary history without modification and specialization by its functional adaptation as seen in the somatic system.

The pygmy slow loris Nycticebus pygmaeus is a little-studied primate endemic to Vietnam, Laos, southern China and eastern Cambodia. Our study aimed to gain local knowledge on the distribution and ecology of, and threats to, the species by interviewing hunters, traders and wildlife protection staff, and to verify this information using a spotlighting survey in three major reserves in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. Encounter rates of pygmy loris were assessed along 29 transects (129.5 km), yielding observations of 26 individuals. Mean encounter rates were 0.40 km-1 in Seima Protection Forest, 0.10 km-1 in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary and 0.00 km-1 in Mondulkiri Protected Forest. Informants had knowledge of where populations occurred, their diet, sociality and habitat preferences. Widespread large population declines were reported and informants linked this to high hunting pressure, particularly in 2001 and 2002. In late 2008 and 2009 we resurveyed three transects that had high encounter rates in early 2008 and failed to detect any lorises. Local informants reported high hunting pressure during the previous wet season in two of these sites, and a gold mine development was underway in the third site. Urgent actions are required to address these population declines and to assess the conservation status of pygmy lorises throughout eastern Cambodia.

We report here the first close examination in 70 years of the Horton Plains slender loris, Loris tardigradus (lydekkerianus) nycticeboides, previously known only from two collected specimens and a number of sightings from eye-shine. Photographic and morphometric data presented here enable a preliminary assessment of the possible distinctive endomorphic features of this loris in comparison to its sister species and subspecies. This loris clearly demonstrates adaptations to montane forest, as previously suggested from the preserved skins of the holotype and paratype. Confirmation of the continued existence of this loris raises familiar concerns over its taxonomic distinctiveness, its apparent low abundance in a highly fragmented and diminishing habitat, and the actions necessary to eliminate the threats to its survival.

The extent of planted forests has greatly increased in the tropics, but their conservation value while assumed to be low, is largely unknown. We compared the density and microhabitat selection of a nocturnal arboreal primate, the Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), in mostly undisturbed, evergreen tropical forest to those in 15–18 year old Acacia/Leucaena plantations with significant secondary regrowth, and

Illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife is a major conservation challenge. For Asian primates, economic and cultural traditions, and increased forest access mean that trade may have become detrimental for certain species. Slow and slender lorises (Nycticebus and Loris) are primates particularly prevalent in trade, determined until now by focused counts of lorises in regional markets. Here, we use international trade statistics and a participant-observer approach to assess culturally specific drivers for trade in lorises in South and Southeast Asia, to provide a broader context to help mitigate this practice. Analysis of international records for the last 30 years revealed that live animal trade was more prevalent than trade in body parts (slow lorises, 86.4%; slender lorises, 91.4%), with Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand the largest exporters. We then examine drivers of international and domestic trade based on long-term data from 1994-2009 in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Indonesia. We show that slender lorises are important in Sri Lankan folklore, but their use as pets and for traditional medicine is rare. Trade in Bengal slow and pygmy lorises in Cambodia for use in traditional medicines, a practice with deeply historical roots, is widespread. Despite its own set of myths about the magical and curative properties of lorises, trade in Javan, Bornean, and greater slow lorises in Indonesia is largely for pets. Conservation practices in Asia are often generalized and linked with the region's major religions and economies. We show here that, in the case of wildlife trade, culturally specific patterns are evident among different ethnic groups, even within a country. Revealing such patterns is the foundation for developing conservation management plans for each species. We suggest some participatory methods for each country that may aid in this process.

In Cambodia, periodic reports since the 1990s have identified the sale of large numbers of dried pygmy Nycticebus pygmaeus and northern slow lorises N. bengalensis in traditional medi- cine stores. We used interviews and questionnaires to identify the uses and users of lorises, elucidate factors affecting selection of loris medicines, and determine whether access to alternative therapies may reduce the use of loris medicines. Pygmy lorises were found to be the most commonly requested animal from traditional medicine stores in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, and the primary users recalled by sellers were women between the ages of 25 and 45 from middle to upper class back- grounds. Slow lorises were predominantly used in a tonic for women after childbirth, stomach prob- lems, healing wounds and broken bones, and in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Lorises were reported to be sourced from provinces with large protected areas within their distribu- tion ranges. Market values of both species more than doubled from 1997 to 2007; however, the major- ity of respondents expressed reluctance to substitute loris medicines with alternatives, indicating that promotion of alternatives would be an inappropriate conservation tool. Education and enhanced law enforcement are vital to conserve slow lorises in Cambodia.

The pygmy loris ( Nycticebus pygmaeus ) is a small prosimian living in Vietnam, Laos, eastern Cambodia and the south part of China. In China it is only found in Pingbian, Hekou, Jinping, Luchun of Yunnan. As N. pygmaeus is seriously threatened by hunting, trade and habitat destruction, it is listed in Appendix II of CITES, and in 2006 the IUCN classified it as “vulnerable”. In order to understand the characteristics of energy metabolism and thermoregulation of N. pygmaeus , the resting metabolic rate (RMR) and body temperature ( T b ) at different ambient temperature ( T a ) of pygmy lorises, as well as body mass, energy intake, digestable energy intake, digestability and the thermal conductance were measured in captivity. The results obtained mainly are as follows: (1) Pygmy loris feed dry food averaged 12.90 ± 1.02 g/d. They could gain 214.87 ± 16.65 kJ/d from food intake, and earned 200.15 ± 16.36 kJ digestable energy intake per day with 90.13 ± 1.34% of the digestability. (2) The T b at room temperatures was a little low (35.23 ± 0.16 °C) and varied with T a from 25 °C to 35 °C. There was a positive relationship between T b and T a , which was described as: T b = 27.22 + 0.34 T a ( r = 0.880). (3) The resting metabolic rate (RMR) of the pygmy loris was 0.3844 ± 0.0162 mlO 2 /g/h, which was 51.91 ± 1.90% of the previous predicted rate by Kleiber (1961) [21] . (4) The average thermal conductance of the pygmy loris ( N . pygmaeus ) was 0.0449 ± 0.0031 mlO 2 /g/h/°C. These characteristics of energy metabolism and thermoregulation of N. pygmaeus in Yunnan Daweishan Nature Reserve might be considered as the adaptive characteristics to their environment in tropical semi-evergreen forests and secondary forests.

The Red Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus) is one of the three primate species endemic to Sri Lanka. Currently there are two recognized subspecies of the Red Slender Loris, the Sri Lanka Red Slender Loris (L. t. tardigradus) and the Sri Lanka Montane Slender Loris (L. t. nycticeboides). Of these, L. t. tardigradus inhabits rainforests in the southwestern region of the island while L. t. nycticeboides is restricted to the montane zone. Kottawa Arboretum harbors one of the few remaining L. t. tardigradus populations in the country. This study was conducted to determine the population density, habitat selection criteria and to asses the habitat availability of L. t. tardigradus in the Kottawa Arboretum. Using the line transect method, 34 sightings were made over a period of 21 months. Based on these observations the density of L. t. tardigradus in the Kottawa Arboretum and habitat selection criteria was ascertained. The calculated density of L. t. tardigradus in the Kottawa Arboretum is 41 animals/ km2. The average height of trees preferred by L. t. tardigradus is 13.97 m plus or minus 6.02. Most of the time lorises were observed at a height range of 3.5-15 m above the ground level. Average height from the ground level where L. t. tardigradus were observed to occupy the tree was 8.64 m plus or minus 5.00. Of the 50 tree species recorded in the Kottawa Arboretum, L. t. tardigradus was found to utilize only 16 species.

Five species of non-human primates occur in Sri Lanka—the toque macaque (Macaca sinica), purple-faced langur (Trachypithecus vetulus), slender lorises (Loris tardigradus and Loris lydekkarianus) and the gray langur (Semnopithecus priam thersites). The primates of Sri Lanka are endemic and considered to be Critically Endangered or Endangered. Here we report on some observations, information from interviews with local people regarding primate-human interactions, and also morphological differences in the subspecies we observed during field visits in 2004, 2005, and 2007. When asked, most people stated that they believed that primate populations had increased over the years, and many consider them to be agricultural pests due to the damage they inflict on crops. Due to religious beliefs, hunting and killing of primates were reported in low frequency, but some eat the meat of purple-faced langur for medicinal purposes. The most common methods people use to prevent monkeys from damaging crops are thro...

Five species of slow lorises were once considered to comprise a single strongly polymorphic species, Nycticebus coucang, ranging throughout South and Southeast Asia. The cryptic nature of these nocturnal primates has led to a lack of understanding of their distribution patterns and abundance. In short surveys, often few if any lorises are detected, meaning that the few available density estimates are from long-term studies. Based on new research in Sebangau National Park, Borneo, and compilation of survey data from other areas, we provide the first comparative abundance estimates for all five slow loris species: N. coucang occurred in significantly higher abundances (median encounter rate 0.80/km: n = 15), than N. bengalensis (0.26/km; n = 12), or N. javanicus (0.11/km: n = 2), N. menagensis (0.02/km: n = 3), and N. pygmaeus (0.13/km: n = 4). Abundance estimates in Sebangau (0.19/km) did not increase with increasing survey effort, but for all species and studies combined, study duration was positively correlated with abundance estimates. We did not find a relation between abundance and body mass, nor between abundance and latitude. Long-term studies are more likely to be conducted at sites where the species of interest is particularly plentiful. The data suggest that slow lorises occur at low abundances throughout much of their range, and some in larger social groups than previously assumed. We recommend taking into account the species’ heterogeneous distribution (potentially requiring larger survey effort), their social structure, the use of red lights as opposed to white lights whilst surveying, and to make use of their vocalisations when surveying slow lorises.

Summary: Over the last century, only two cases of ocular oxyspirurosis were recorded in primates, both in zoos, and two species were described: in Berlin, Germany, Oxyspirura (O.) conjunctivalis from the lemurid Microcebus murinus, later also found in the lorisid Loris gracilis; in Jacksonville, Florida, O. (O.) youngi from the cercopithecid monkey Erythrocebus patas. In the present case from the Moscow zoo, oxyspirurosis was recorded in several species of Old World lemuriforms and lorisiforms, and some South American monkeys. i) The intermediate host was discovered to be a cockroach, as for O. (O.) mansoni, a parasite of poultry. The complete sequence identity between ITS-1 rDNA from adult nematodes of the primate and that of the larval worms from the vector, Nauphoete cinerea, confirmed their conspecificity. ii) Parasites from Moscow zoo recovered from Nycticebus c. coucang were compared morphologically to those from other zoos. The length and shape of the gubernaculum, used previously as a distinct character, were found to be variable. However, the vulvar bosses arrangement, the distal extremity of left spicule and the position of papillae of the first postcloacal pair showed that the worms in the different samples were not exactly identical and that each set seemed characteristic of a particular zoo. iii) The presence of longitudinal cuticular crests in the infective stage as well as in adult worms was recorded. Together with several other morphological and biological characters (long tail and oesophagus, cockroach vector), this confirmed that Oxyspirura is not closely related to Thelazia, another ocular parasite genus. iv) The disease in the Moscow zoo is thought to have started with Nycticebus pygmaeus imported fromVietnam, thus the suggestion was that Asiatic lorisids were at the origin of the Moscow set of cases. The natural host(s) for the Berlin and Jacksonville cases remain unknown but they are unlikely to be the species found infected in zoos. Consequently the notion of type hosts is artificial and the three agents of oxyspirurosis are provisionally placed in the taxon O. (O.) conjunctivalis.

In June 2007 the Asian slow lorises, genus Nycticebus, will be put forward by Cambodia at the 14th Conference of Parties to be transferred from Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to Appendix I. Appendix II allows trade, albeit regulated, whereas Appendix I will preclude all international commercial trade in the genus [CITES, 2007]. At present capture for trade is rampant and unregulated [Schulze and Groves, 2004]. The large volume of trade has led to the conclusion that Nycticebus species are not common enough to withstand the current level of off-take, being the number one protected species encountered during many in-country animal market surveys [Malone et al., 2002; Harris, 2003; Webber and Nekaris, 2004; Shepherd et al., 2005]. In order to qualify for listing in Appendix I of CITES, the CITES listing criteria require that the wild population is small, has a restricted area of distribution or has suffered a marked decline in the population size in the wild. Other than those from the trade, few data have been published from wild populations that can be presented to support the transfer from Appendix II to I. Until recently, slow lorises were considered a single highly polymorphic species, ranging from northern India to China and Vietnam, south to the Malay Peninsula, and into western Indonesia and the southern Philippines [Groves, 1971, 1998]. In Cambodia’s proposal [CITES, 2007], three species are listed, whereas recent and ongoing research shows that slow lorises in fact comprise a minimum of five cryptic species, differing in dentition, morphology, and genetic make-up [Roos, 2003; Brandon-Jones et al., 2004; Chen et al., 2006; Nekaris et al. , 2006]. At an IUCN Red List Primate Specialists Group Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) in Cambodia in September 2006, these five species were individually assessed as Vulnerable or Endangered on the basis of continuing habitat loss alone. The threespecies approach can have a drastic impact on the conservation status of Nycticebus , underestimating threats in terms of habitat loss and the impacts of the trade. Before permitting exports of species listed in Appendix II of CITES, each national government within a species’ range is required to determine that trade is not detrimental to the species’ survival or to the ecosystem in which it occurs – in effect, to confirm that the species has been harvested at a sustainable level [Vonk and Published online: May 8, 2007

The grey slender loris Loris lydekkerianus, one of only two nocturnal primates of India, is found in the southern part of the country. Our understanding of its geographical distribution is largely based on historical records and short surveys, and little is known of its occurrence in southern India today. We sought to establish the relative abundance of this species in 26 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Pondicherry in southern India. We sighted lorises in 19 districts, and their relative abundance ranged from 0.01 to 2.21/km. The south-central districts of Tamil Nadu showed the highest densities of lorises, while the western districts showed the lowest. Based on these results, we recommend increased protection measures for the forest patches of the Eastern Ghats mountains in order to ensure the long-term survival of the grey slender loris.

Hibernation is not a physiologic function that is normally associated with primates, but can perhaps be considered an extreme of the spectrum of metabolic activity and energy expenditure. The perspective that energy expenditure is directly proportional to physical activity may apply across the zoologic record, but has been questioned for primates [1]. Pontzer [1] stated that primates use half the energy of other mammals. Among the factors affecting energy demands, body mass/size is the major overriding determinant of thereutral resting metabolic rate [1]. This holds across mammalian phylogeny, with notable exception of marsupials, edentates, and among primates, strepsirrhines [2,3]. Hypometabolism among Strepsirrhini is greatest for Eulemur fulvus and Lemur catta (69% reduction in basal metabolic rate), Nycticebus coucang (63%), Varecia varecia (70%), Propithecus verrauxi (87%) and least for Galago elegantulus (1.5%), with Lepilemur ruficaudatus, Loris tardigradus, Otolemur crossicaudatus and garnetti and Periodictus potto intermediately reduced at 45% [4]. This contrasts with Haplorhini which is a highly variable suborder. Most approximate anticipated (for their mass) metabolic rate, with the exception of hypometabolism in Aotus triviragautus, Cebuella and Tarsius syrichta. This contrasts with increased basal metabolism in Cercopithicus mitus, Erythrocebus and Macacca fasculatus and fuscata, Saguinus geoffroyi, Papio cynocephalus and Calithix geoffroyi. It is intriguing that the 20% increase in basal metabolic rate in Calithix geoffroyi contrasts with a 30% decrease in C. jacchus decreased 30%. Similarly, basal metabolic rate was as anticipated for weight in Macacca mulatta and Papio papio, in contrast to M. fasculatus, M. fuscata, and Papio cynocephalus.

The type of climbing exhibited by apes and atelines is argued to have been important in the evolution of specialized locomotion, such as suspensory locomotion and bipedalism. However, little is known about the mechanics of climbing in primates. Previous work shows that Asian apes and atelines use larger joint excursions and longer strides than African apes and the Japanese macaque, respectively. This study expands knowledge of climbing mechanics by providing the first quantitative kinematic data for vertical climbing in four prosimian species: three lorisid species (Loris tardigradus, Nycticebus coucang, and Nycticebus pygmaeus) that share with apes and atelines morphological traits arguably related to climbing, and a more generalized quadruped, Cheirogaleus medius. Subjects were videotaped as they climbed up a wooden pole. Kinematic values, such as step length and limb excursions, were calculated and compared between species. The results of this study show that lorises, like Asian apes and spider monkeys, use relatively larger joint excursions and longer steps than does C. medius during climbing. These data lend further support to the idea that some primate species (e.g., lorises, atelines, and apes) are more specialized kinematically and morphologically for climbing than others. Pilot data suggest that such kinematic differences in climbing style across broad phylogenetic groups may relate to the energetics of climbing. Such data may be important for understanding the morphological and kinematic adaptations to climbing exhibited by some primates.

Members of the Order Primates are characterised by a wide overlap of visual fields or optic convergence. It has been proposed that exploitation of either insects or angiosperm products in the terminal branches of trees, and the corresponding complex, three-dimensional environment associated with these foraging strategies, account for visual convergence. Although slender lorises (Loris sp.) are the most visually convergent of all the primates, very little is known about their feeding ecology. This study, carried out over 10 (1/2) months in South India, examines the feeding behaviour of L. lydekkerianus lydekkerianus in relation to hypotheses regarding visual predation of insects. Of 1238 feeding observations, 96% were of animal prey. Lorises showed an equal and overwhelming preference for terminal and middle branch feeding, using the undergrowth and trunk rarely. The type of prey caught on terminal branches (Lepidoptera, Odonata, Homoptera) differed significantly from those caught on middle branches (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera). A two-handed catch accompanied by bipedal postures was used almost exclusively on terminal branches where mobile prey was caught, whereas the more common capture technique of one-handed grab was used more often on sturdy middle branches to obtain slow moving prey. Although prey was detected with senses other than vision, vision was the key sense used upon the final strike. This study strongly supports the notion that hunting for animal prey was a key ecological determinant in selecting for visual convergence early on in primate evolution. The extreme specialisations of slender lorises, however, suggest that early primates were not dedicated faunivores and lend further support to the emerging view that both insects and fruits were probably important components of the diet of basal primates, and that exploitation of fruits may account for other key primate traits.