Lorisidae – Lorisids
Famously motionless, yet recent studies proved not all family members are slow-moving
The family of lorises, pottos, and angwantibos – all are residents of southern Asia and tropical central Africa.
They enjoy arboreal, nocturnal life with an insectivorous diet but bird eggs, small vertebrates, berries, and sap are also on the menu. They have specialized hands and feet with superior gripping capabilities, thanks to those miracle nets of capillaries! This allows them to hang on to the branches (immobilized) for hours without turning their limbs numb.
Territory marking with urine and intensive urine washing are everyday rituals. Some species have brachial glands, which can produce a substance/chemical that, mixed with saliva, turns toxic in certain conditions and works as a self-defense weapon.
Genera in this family
Spend most of their time on trees, moving along the tops of branches with precise and slow movements