Javan Slow Loris- a poisonous primate

Photo courtesy of snowflakegirl 

 The Javan slow loris is found in South Asia and is the only primate that is poisonous. The slow loris produces a pungent, thick brown oil like substance from a gland under their arms which when mixed with their saliva creates a deadly venom. This cuddly creature is currently classified as endangered on the IUCN (International Union for conservation of Nature) and is rapidly being driven to extinction by the pet trade and habitat loss.

These creatures are commonly kept as pets due to their cute and cuddly looks however; most slow lorises that are kept as pets are victims of a cruel and widespread procedure which involves tearing out of their teeth with wire cutters. This torturous practice is conducted to prevent the poisonous primate from delivering its deadly bite. Even after changes to international law, the sale of these lovable creatures is still widespread throughout South Asia.

The natural habitat of the slow loris is mainly primary and secondary forests however; these habitats are increasingly being destroyed due to encroachment of humans and the development of agricultural fields and buildings. These arboreal creatures have to risk their lives by un-naturally crawling over the ground to reach suitable and much desired fruit bearing trees and flowers. These scattered, favored areas containing food make it easy to spot these lorises; but this is not a good thing as it makes it easy for hunters to spot them too.

Until recently, not a lot was known about the Javan slow loris and its toxicity; however, tribes that live in close proximity to this lethal loris know a lot more about it and its dangers.  One of the tribes ‘protectors of the forest’ says that the loris is more dangerous than the leopard and that there is no antidote for its venom. Lorises that have been attacked by other lorises suffer from head wounds that leave nasty scars. Local vets have reported that lorises hurt by branches or wire etc. heal quickly; however, those that are injured by other lorises often suffer from necrosis.  This unusual venomous trait could therefore be an evolved characteristic to use against others of the same species as a territorial defense. Viscous conflicts have been observed amongst the slow loris, particularly during the mating season.

These poisonous primates need this unique trait to survive in the wild as it protects them from parasites and predators.  When releasing captive slow lorises back into the wild, conservationists found that few were surviving. Further investigation has revealed that in the wild the Javan slow loris hunts a variety of insects including some which contain their own poison. It has been reported that these creatures  gain some of their toxicity from their food, therefore those  that are held captive as part of the pet trade do not get fed their usual diet of these poisonous bugs and consequently do not contain enough poison in the wild to protect themselves from predators and parasites.

 By Laura Ireson