Slow Loris: The only known venomous primate

Rahul Ashem *

Slow Loris :: Pix Courtesy - Wikipedia / David Haring

Slow Loris is the only known venomous primate. The species is also one of the smallest primates of all the primate families.

Known by the name Yong ikaithibi or Loudraobi in Manipuri dialect, the primate is least concerned in terms of their conservation status in Manipur. People’s unawareness of the species affects the Slow Loris populations at present to a great deal. Rescuing the species and encouraging people to take the responsibility of conserving Slow Loris are the only means for the species’ future existence in the State.

Scientifically called as Nycticebus bengalensis, the name Slow Loris is genetically slow and deliberate climber. The species is a rare and complex creature considered critical of its survival. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 listed the primate in schedule I category. CITES updates the Slow Loris from Appendix II to Appendix I and elevated the threat status to endangered class. Besides, Slow Loris remains the less studied species amongst the prosimians.

Basically, Slow Lorises are arboreal and nocturnal in habits. The animal lives in dense canopies and its presence indicates a healthy ecological system. As classified, the species is well known as seed dispersal and seed pollinator. Alike other primates, Slow Loris feeds on eating sap, floral nectar, plant parts that produce nectar, fruits, gums, arthropods (insects/spiders) and small vertebrates etc.

The species can hang upside down while feeding on fruits and stalks its prey in slow motion, springing erect and grabbing it with both hands. As a prosimians nature, the Lorises have a claw on its second toe which it uses to dig out grubs from tree trunks.

The primates lives in group, marks its territory with urine and sleeps during the day by curling up in dense vegetation or in tree holes. Slow Loris does vocalize in various contexts, but their high frequency makes it difficult for human observers to detect and for the uninitiated listener, they are easily mistaken for insect sounds.

It is a seasonal breeder, reproducing once every 12-18 months and usually giving birth to a single offspring. For the first three months, mothers carry their offspring which reach sexual maturity at around 20 months. The Slow Loris lives for about 20 years.

Presently, there is a vast decline in the Loudraobi population status in Manipur. The decline in the population is mainly due to killing or environmental factors like habitat fragmentation resulting in the decline of roosting tree as well as foraging tree.

Other factors include rapid population growth, over exploitation (removal of timber, fuel, fodder and other commercially important species replacing the weaker ones), poaching, shifting cultivation, road development and construction etc. Studies revealed that, in some village areas, the phenomenon of hunting and killing of primate species is an old traditional method of village trophy.

In some areas, Slow Loris is being killed due to the general belief that it brings misfortune to the family once it enters their premises, apart from its bite being poisonous. Secondly, it is hunted for its medicinal values. It is believed that the animal is predominantly used to prepare treatments for women after childbirth, stomach problems, healing wounds and broken bones, and in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Poaching and illicit trading of Slow Loris are main factors resulting to its destruction. However, in some highly fragmented or isolated small forest patches, pythons (Python reticulatus), hawk-eagles (Spizaetus cirrhatus) and other small predators are confirmed predators of Slow Loris. Finally, at this era, forest loss also has numerous implications on climate change, which in turn, affects the primates in different ways.

Additionally, Slow Loris is considered as one of a small number of venomous mammals. The venomous organ is present in two components, saliva and oil from the brachial gland on the upper arm, which becomes active when the animal licks its brachial gland and mixes the two. Brachial gland is barely visible on the ventral side, of the elbow.

The animal bends their heads downwards between uplifted forelegs, rubbing the brachial gland exudates onto their head and neck. The brachial gland is active in lorises as young as 6 weeks old. The species has the habit of frequently lick their own brachial gland regions and also wipe their brachial gland against their head. The primate adopted serpentine markings and movements as defense mechanisms. When threatened, the animal hisses and retreat into a defensive posture with its paws clasped on top of its head.

Sometimes the bite is so painful that it may cause swelling and tends to heal much more slowly than similar bites from non venomous animals. Some people also experience anaphylactic shock that may lead to death whereas other experience necrosis of the infected tissues.

Symptoms of anaphylactic shock are burning tongue and throat, a sensation of heat, red, itching skin, wheals, very low blood pressure, shock, convulsions of muscle (pain), pain in the heart and kidney region, respiratory problems (construction of airways), heart problems and possibly unconsciousness etc.

Conservation of Slow Lorises is essential for the protection of the environment. Enhancing protection measures, enforcing current wildlife protection laws and improving the connectivity between protected areas are measures for the survival of Slow Loris. The need of time is to conduct survey on people’s attitude towards primate presence and its conservation status in the State.

Recognizing by the name Bengal Slow Loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), the species is confined to the whole North-eastern states of India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura). The cousin, Slender Loris is distributed throughout South India, south of river Tapti and Godavari. Studies revealed that rescued Slow Loris is being affected by habitat disturbances. The major difficulty involved in releasing the animal into the wild is the lack of information on its habitat requirements.

An arbitrary release may lead to the death of the animal. Therefore, it is imperative for the development of meaningful Slow Loris conservation strategies that more information should be obtained on habitat variables and population densities throughout the species’ range. It is also suggested that more research work on Slow Loris bite is needed to elucidate the effects of brachial gland exudates on humans. Besides, the rescue of Slow Lorises from human dominated landscape of the State is a subject of great interest.