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Lorises are often mistaken for sloths but actually lorises and
sloths are in completely different families. The loris is a prosimian,
a more primitive subset of the primate Order than monkeys and
apes.
Lorises move so slowly and carefully through the foliage that
they don't even disturb the leaves! Their movements are smooth
and perfectly coordinated so that they are not noticed by their
predators as they advance through their habitat. In fact, the
slightest sound will make them freeze until the potential predator
is gone. They are able to remain this way for hours in order to
frustrate even the most patient predator (not to mention the keeper
needing to retrieve one of the lorises from some unreachable corner
of their exhibit!).
Though they move slowly through branches, they are surprisingly
quick when it comes to catching prey. They snatch prey quickly
by throwing their body forward, grabbing a branch tightly with
their feet, and using both hands to grab the prey (this show of
acrobatics can be observed during the midday keeper cricket feeds).
Lorises have an extremely low metabolic rate which enables them
to maintain body condition even though they eat insects that are
relatively low in nutritional value. The ability to eat prey (insects)
that are just barely edible yet easy to locate by scent, seems
to be one of the few benefits of the slow, almost imperceptible
movement characteristic of lorises.
Learn more about the Minnesota Zoo's slow
lorises
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