SBB 6014 BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT ENDANGERED SPECIES

NUR FAIZAH BINTI AZIZAN M20131000480

MASTER OF EDUCATION BIOLOGY

SLOW LORISES

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Animalia Chordata Mammalia Primates Lorisidae Nycticebus N. javanicus N. menagenesis N. coucang N. bengalensis N. pygmaeus

SPECIES AND DISTRIBUTION

N. javanicus (Javan slow loris) is only can be found in the Island of Java, Indonesia. N. pygmaeus(pygmy slow loris) can be found in east of the Mekong river in Yunnan, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. N. menagenesis (Bornean slow loris) can be found on Borneo island and nearby island including Sulu Archipelago. In 2012, Bornean slow loris was split into four distinct species including N. bancanus, N. borneanus and N. kayan. N. coucang (Sunda slow loris) can be found in Sumatera and Peninsular Malaysia including Singapore and southern Thailand. N. bengalensis (Bengal slow loris) can be found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Southern China, Northeast India, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam.

HABITAT

Slow loris can be found in primary forest and secondary rainforest. Slow loris prefers forests with high and dense canopy. They also can be found in bamboo groves and mangroves forest. Although they love to be in forests with high and dense canopy, some species can be found live in disturbed habitats such as plantation and home gardens.

CHARACTERISTICS Slow lorises have a round head, narrow snout and large eyes. Their body are covered by short and dense woolly fur. Slow lorises color ranges from silvery to dark brown. They have a dark dorsal stripe from the rump to the top of the head. Their big eyes rounded with triangular shape dark color. They also have a stigial tails. They have almost equal in length arms and legs. Their hand and feet give them pincer-like grips that help them to grab branches for a long time. Male slow lorises are larger than females. Adult slow lorises can reach up to 2000 grams.

BEHAVIOR

DIET o o o o Slow lorises are omnivores. They eat fruits, gums, nectar and miscellaneous vegetations. They also eat insects, arthropods, eggs, reptiles and small birds. A study showed that Sunda slow loris eat more gums and fruits other than insects while Pygmy slow loris eat more on animal prey other than fruits. BEHAVIOR o Slow lorises are nocturnal. They are foraging alone and active during night. During the day, they sleep by curled up like a ball in hidden parts of trees above ground. o Slow lorises communicate using their mark of urine and unique vocalizations called krik. They will produce a low buzzing hiss or growl when disturbed. o o Slow lorises will grip the terminal branches of the other trees and pull themselves across the terminal gap in order to move to another tree. Slow lorises will stop moving and freeze when they are disturbed. They will cover their face with their hands. That is why in Indonesia, slow lorises are also known as malu-malu. o As a defensive mechanism, slow lorises produce a secretion from their bronchial gland at their arms. The secretion will mix with their saliva and become toxic to kill their predators. o Slow lorises produce offspring throughout the years.

IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES

Slow lorises play many important roles in ecosystem. The importances of slow lorises are:

1. as preys and predators. Slow loris is a predator for small bird, small reptiles and also insects. They also eat vegetative plants. They also prey for pythons, hawkeagle and orang utan. This will contribute to the ecosystem equilibrium. 2. as seed disperser. Slow lorises disperse seed through their faeces. 3. as pollinators. Slow loris can feed nectar of hundreds of flowers in one night. They will transfer that nectar several kilometres through the forest. 4. as pest control. Slow lorises adapt well to agro forest habitat. They will eat pests that harm farmers crops. 5. provide food source. They have an ability to gouge holes in trees. This produces a food sources that animals can exploit.

CONSERVATION STATUS

1. Conservation status of N. coucang, N. pygmaeus, N. menagenesis and N. bengalensis

2. Conservation status of N. javanicus

THREATS

Slow lorises are threatened by many sources such as habitat loss, wildlife trade, medicine, superstition, infection and exotic foods. Slow lorises loss their habitat due to deforestation, logging and agricultural. Slow lorises have high demand in wildlife trade as a pet. In the wild, their shiny and bigger eyes make them easy to track and catch. Japan is the famous country that loves to make slow loris as their pet because of the slow loris cute appearance. Slow lorises are sold at the market for domestic trade and in the internet for international trade. Among traditional medicines practices, slow lorises are very popular. In Cambodia, dried slow lorises are commonly requested to cure cancer. Every part of Bengal slow loris such as brains are used to heal wound. Many slow lorises died because of the black magic and superstitious. Slow lorises will be burned alive and cause their eyes to burst and release oil. The oil will be used as love potion. Slow loris bite is poisonous. Because of that, its teeth will be removed in order to avoid it to bite. This cause slow loris afflicts massive bleeding and suffers infection through wound in the mouth. Normally, infection causes death to slow loris. Slow loris is also an exotic food which has becomes popular demand in a few Asean countries. All its limbs are made into various menus in exotic cooking shops.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Included in CITES Appendix I and II protection. o o Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. Local conservation laws o o In Malaysia, slow lorises are protected from hunting and trade. Rehabilitation and sanctuaries International Animal Rescue provides sanctuaries that offer lifelong cares to slow lorises that had their teeth removed. Healthy slow lorises are released back into the wild. Zoo o o o Pygmy slow loris can do better in zoo and they can adapt with their new environment. Zoo also provided public awareness about slow lorises conservation. Education and awareness programmes Zoo and International Animal Rescue provide and conduct many public awareness programmes about slow lorises conservation.

REFERENCES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_slow_loris http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39761/0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_loris#Distribution_and_diversity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_slow_lorises#Background http://primatology.net/2010/10/19/are-slow-lorises-really-venomous/ http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0604-hance-zacc-nekaris.html http://www.ippl.org/gibbon/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Slow-Loris-Done.pdf https://www.academia.edu/2386920/Status_ecology_and_threats_of_one_of_the_least_known_pri mate_species_Bengal_slow_loris_N._bengalensis_in_the_Protected_Areas_of_Assam_India http://www.loris-conservation.org/database/captive_care/manual/PDF/2b_Taxonomy.pdf