Page 33 - World of Animals - Issue #39

Slow loris

1. Venom

Toxic elbow
The mystery toxin with The elbow of the
slow loris is a
no known antidote convenient place to
hide its oily poison.
This is technically venom
rather than poison as the
animal delivers it to the blood
through a bite. Poison, on
the other hand does damage
when eaten or inhaled. The
venom is activated when
it mixes with saliva, but its
properties are yet to be fully
understood. Venom samples
have been found to contain
proteins very similar to those
responsible for cat allergies.
The toxin itself contains over
200 different compounds and
has no anti-venom, though
is really only dangerous to
humans when paired with
extreme anaphylactic shock.

Don’t tickle a slow loris
Videos of slow lorises being tickled have been
circulating the internet for a while now, but this is
not an interaction the animals enjoy. The slow loris
feels crippling fear and will raise its arms to try and
access its elbow venom. Most unfortunately, these
animals are proving to be very popular as pets.
Their wild populations are dwindling because the
demand for them is so high, and each wild-captured
animal has its teeth removed without anaesthetic
before being sold. This is just one more species that
the exotic pet trade is exploiting.

2. Eyesight

Seeing beyond the dark
Oversized eyes take in as much light as
possible when there is little available.
White stripes between the eyes act as
reflectors to allow maximum light to hit

the loris’s retinas. The eyes have excellent
depth perception, meaning a bite rarely
misses its target. Light-magnifying
crystals are found at the rear of the eye to

force more light to find its way to the optic
nerve. Unlike many mammal species, slow
lorises are born with their eyes open as it
is an extremely important sense.

During the day the pupils are as Sphincters control the Full dilation makes seeing in
narrow as pinpricks to minimise iris, and relax to allow the the dark a breeze, as these
light entering the eyes. pupil to increase in size. animals are active at night.

33

030-035_Cute but deadly_Slow loris.indd 33 12/10/2016 14:58