Red Slender Loris –Loris tardigradus

[indunil]

A team of Sri Lankan researchers has discovered a strange white Langur monkey in the rain forests of Southwestern Sri Lanka

This is a new colour morph of the purple faced leaf Langur (Semnopithecus vetulus) which is endemic to the island.

The research team included Galle Wildlife Conservation Society's Madura A de Silva and Nadika C Hapuarachchi, and Nations Trust Bank Primate Conservation Project's P A Rohan Krishantha. The team has discovered over 30 monkeys of this new colour form in 14 troops. The new colour morph was named as the Galanthus (snow white) colour morph. Galanthus colour morph was observed among troops mainly from rain forests and rain forest associated habitats.

"Sri Lanka has four subspecies of the purple faced leaf langur from four different geographical zones. The new colour morph belongs to the Southern purple faced leaf langur (Semnopithecus vetulus vetulus)," said Hapuarachchi.

According to researchers, all white individuals had black naked parts of the face and beige to ashy brown crown hair. None had red eyes and body and limbs were white, sometimes with ashy patches. They have identified adults, juveniles and infants of both sexes of this new colour morph.

The researchers also observed that most rain forests, in which these individuals are observed, are adjoining commercial lowland tea plantations and tea smallholders. Therefore, the encroachment of rain forest by tea cultivations has been a major issue related to the Galanthus colour morph.

[priya]

Getting to know the langur and toque macaque

The Cinnamon Lodge and Chaaya Village hotels in Habarana was the setting of a three month study of the two most commonly seen primates in Sri Lanka.

Of the five species of primates observed in Sri Lanka -the grey langur, purple faced langur, toque macaque, grey slender loris and the red slender loris, two species - the grey langur and the toque macaque were under observation in the 25 acre twin hotel compound situated in the heart of primate country at Habarana.

The project, a joint effort between the John Keells Hotels and Oxford Brooks University, UK was arranged by Chitral Jayatilake, Head of Eco Tourism and Special Projects for Keells Hotels and Dr. Anna Nekaris who heads the Primate Research division at the university.

Two MSc students from Oxford Brooks arrived at the Lodge in early May this year to team up with the Nature Trails in house naturalist team in conducting a 90 day study of the primates that roam the hotel complex.

Kate Grounds from Oxford Brooks who headed the team watching macaques soon discovered two main toque macaque troops, one that roams the Chaaya Village compound and the second that is seen on the Lodge side of the complex, though both these troops and their territories did overlap at certain points. Alice Martin and her team studying the Langurs also found two troops of this species named as the Chaaya Group and the Farm group.

Both species spent more than 90 percent of their time within the hotel compound while 55% of the time, they were observed within close walking distance to tourist areas of the hotels showing an amazing habituated behaviour.

The study focused on their feeding habits, home ranges, human primate interaction, staff perceptions, guests comments of seeing high densities of primates in such close proximity and potential to conduct primate observations as a tourist attraction.The study completed by both students offered an in-depth insight to a group of animals which are often taken for granted and seen as a pest rather than a part of the environment that we enjoy so much.

A mini survey conducted through a questionaire given to guests was useful in understanding how the visitors viewed the primates while a list of comprehensive recommendations were made to the management.

They included further habitat management especially of trees between 2 – 10 metres, planting of feeding trees in the compound, discouraging all feeding by visitors, more signage enhancing awareness, printing of information brochures, educational programmes for all staff at the hotel while carefully planned primate watching excursions were recommended with the in-house naturalist team.

The John Keells hotels management team plans to develop primate watching excursions within their sprawling 25 acre site promoting another sphere of wildlife tourism which is otherwise dominated by the leopard and the elephant in Sri Lanka.

Such studies can change our perceptions on animals that are otherwise seen as a nuisance and make a vast majority of staff and visitors sensitive to looking at primates as an asset, thus helping their cause to survive in a changing world dominated by unfriendly humans, said Chitral Jayatilake.

Sunday Times
 

[priya]

The slender loris

The slender loris is a small, nocturnal primate found only in the tropical rainforests of
Southern India and Sri Lanka. Until recently, they were discovered to be very much in
existence in the Horton Plains National Park. They are able to live in wet and dry forests, as
well as lowland and highland forests. They prefer thick, thorny vegetation wherein they can
easily escape predators and find the large assortment of insects that is the mainstay of
their diet.
Loris tardigradus malabaricus is a subspecies of the slender loris which is found only in
India. The greatest concentrations of these slender lorises are found in the southeastern
Ghats of India. The Ghats are a narrow strip of rainforest that runs down the length of
western India.
The slender loris is about the size of a chipmunk, with long, pencil-thin arms and legs. It is
between 6-10 in. (15-25cm) long and has a small, vestigial tail. It weighs about 10.5-12
oz. (275-348g). The slender loris’ round head is dominated by two large, closely set,
saucer-like brown eyes. They flank a long nose which ends in a heart-shaped knob. The
eyes are surrounded by dark-brown to black circles of fur, while the bridge of the nose is
white. It has a small, narrow lower jaw. The ears are large and round.
Its coat is light red-brown or gray-brown on its back and dirty white on its chest and belly.
The fur on its forearms, hands and feet is short. The slender loris has small fingernails on
its digits. The second digit on the hand and foot are very short. They move on the same
plane as the thumb, which helps them grasp branches and twigs.
The slender loris is an arboreal animal and spends most of its life in trees. Their movements
are slow and precise. They like to travel along the top of branches. For the most part they
hunt by themselves or in pairs at night, although they will come together and share a food
supply.
They live alone or with a mate and an infant. They will sleep with up to seven other lorises
in a hollow tree or sitting up in the angles of branches. They are very social at dusk and
dawn, playing, wrestling and grooming each other.
Mating occurs twice a year; in April-May and October-November. Gestation is 166-169
days, after which one, and occasionally two infants are born. During the first few weeks the
mothers carry their infants constantly. The infant will grasp its mother around the waist
with both its front and hind legs. After a few weeks the mother “parks” the infant on a
branch at night while she forages. The babies move around carefully at first but by two
months they manoeuvre around quite well. More mature lorises who sleep in the same tree
may visit them at night to play and eat with them. Females will reach sexual maturity in 10
months and 18 months for males. The slender loris has a life span of 12 to 15 years.
The slender loris is for the most part insectivorous. This means they eat insects, but they
will also eat slugs, young leaves, flowers, shoots, and occasionally eggs and nestlings. They
can stretch and twist their long arms and legs through the branches without alerting their
prey.
The slender loris eats a lot of noxious and bad smelling insects.
They particularly like the acacia ant whose bite can numb a human arm. They also like toxic
beetles and roaches. The slender loris will engage in urine washing, or rubbing urine over
their hands, feet and face. This is thought to soothe or defend against the sting of these
toxic insects.
Native people have always believed that all parts of the slender loris have some medicinal
or magical powers. This has contributed greatly to the decline of the slender loris.
Destruction of their habitat is another reason for their decline.
It is not clear how many slender lorises survive in the wild. Because of their small size and
nocturnal habits, it has been difficult to do an accurate count. Until recently not much
attention has been paid to the plight of the slender loris, but new interest has been shown
in their species and studies are under way. The government has laws protecting the slender
loris, but its effect is difficult to gauge.

Sunday Observer

[indunil]

Latest visitor to Vil Uyana

Naturalist at Jetwing Vil Uyana Chaminda Indika tells the story of his experience after seen the Northern grey slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus nordicus).

It all started when I heard a sound that resembled the Loris whistle, reminding me of what I had heard last July - the presence of the Loris. With the permission from Vil Uyana General Manager to create a path through the forest near the hotel his adventure began in search of the Grey Slender Loris.
"I entered the trail at 7.30pm carrying a red lit torch, in order to locate the animal. After about 10 minutes I suddenly saw one red-eye in the dense bush but did not pay any attention to it initially as it was only one faint red light.

However, after a few seconds I recognized that this one red eye was most definitely a Loris' eye. The Loris was on a tree two metres above ground level,", Chaminda says.

It must have had an eye problem as I could only see one red eye the entire time I was observing it. Although I had no camera with me to take photographs, I was fortunate enough to have my video recorder. This enabled me to film my first encounter with the one Northern Grey Slender Loris in this new trail.

He was excited for the fact that he had discovered a potential habitat for the Loris - in the Jetwing property itself.

The next day he returned to the trail in the hoping to see the Loris again, but luck had run out

Thereafter I returned on October 22 at around 8 pm and spotted another Loris. It was different from the Loris I had seen on the first night as it had two red eyes, not just one. As it was the second time I had sighted a Loris, I came to the conclusion that Jetwing Vil Uyana was indeed an ideal habitat in which to discover and observe the Northern grey slender Loris.

Chaminda's hopes that the encounter with the Loris will be enough to complete his research about the Loris population in the dry zone. Up to date no research has been done in this area, and this was an ideal habitat for the Loris. Jetwing Vil Uyana can now be listed as an ideal location for Loris watching.

This will certainly be a trail worth exploring while staying at Jetwing Vil Uyana both in the daytime and also at night as there will be birds, butterflies and dragonflies during the day and the Northern grey slender Loris at night!

"I plan to continue observing and learning more of the habits and antics of the grey slender Loris", Chaminda said.

"My aim is to collect as much information as possible; my project report for the Jetwing Research Initiative is due in January 2011 and I hope by then to shed new light on this exotic mammal" said a truly delighted Chaminda.

Daily News Report
http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/11/13/fea37.asp

[indunil]

Purple-faced Leaf Monkey

The Purple-faced Langur (Trachypithecus vetulus), or Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, is a species of Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka. This is a long-tailed arboreal species, mainly brown with a dark facemask and paler lower face. The loud barking call, particularly of the highland form, can be mistaken for the roar of other predators.

This was once a common species, which was found even in suburban Colombo and in the wet zone villages, but rapid urbanisation has taken a toll on the numbers of these monkeys.

It is said to be very selective in its diet, and its range has contracted greatly in the face of human encroachment.

There are four distinct subspecies of Purple-faced Langur which are the Southern Lowland Wetzone Purple-faced Langur, North Lowland Wetzone Purple-faced Langur, Dryzone Purple-faced Langur and Montane Purple-faced Langur or Bear Monkey.

[indunil]

Loris believed extinct for 60 yrs sighted - The Island News Paper

Once believed to be extinct for 60 years, a loris [Sin:Unahapuluwa] sub species from the upper montane rainforest, was rediscovered by a team of local researchers working with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).


The Horton Plains slender loris, found only in Sri Lanka, was sighted and photographed by a group of researchers.


Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka Researcher Kelum Manamendra Arachchi told The Island yesterday that a specimen of the species had been spotted fleetingly in2002 when a light shone in its eyes and was reflected.


Researchers have now managed to get the world's first pictures of the animal. He said that after renowned naturalist W. W. H. Philips sighted the animal in the early 1950’s, this species had not been sighted.




He said that the Horton Plains National Park was a thick jungle and observations at nights were very limited. "However, I strongly believe there is sufficient population of the species. But they are not going to be easy to sight in that environment."


Meanwhile, The Island learns nearly 1,000 night surveys were carried out in 120 forested regions by researchers working in partnership with the ZSL.


The loris was found in half a dozen regions and researchers managed to capture three live specimens long enough to measure them.


The prime reason for the animal's rarity is the loss of its natural forest habitat, which has been largely destroyed by the drive to create tea plantations. The loss of land to other crops was also a contributory factor.


Estimates suggest that there are only 100 of them left, and they are placed among the world's top five most threatened primates. However, some say that so little is known about the animal that numbers could even be below 60 – which would make it the rarest species.


Dr. Craig Turner of ZSL said: "There's been a lot of loss of habitat historically. Forest covered much of the south-west area of Sri Lanka, but it's been cleared for agriculture and tea estates.


More recently they've been cleared for firewood collection. We are now left with a very few islands of forest that aren't connected.


Because they [lorises] are so rare and because for many years they were thought to be extinct, virtually nothing is known about them.

[indunil]

A Mammalian cause! - Sunday Observer

Sri Lanka is home to 17 endemic mammals. Being an island Sri Lanka lacks land area to supports large animals. However, fossil evidence of large archaic species of Rhinoceroses, Hippopotamuses, and Lions have been discovered. The flora and fauna of Sri Lanka is mostly understudied. Therefore the number of endemics is could be underestimated. Most endemic mammals are small nocturnal mammals that are seen rarely.


Red Slender Loris




The Red Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus) is a small, nocturnal prosimian native to the rainforests of Sri Lanka. This is 6th of the 10 focal species and 22th of the 100 EDGE animal species worldwide considered the most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered. Two subspecies have been identified, L.t.tardigradus and L.t. nycticeboides.

This small, slender primate is distinguished with large forward facing eyes used for precise depth perception, long slender limbs, a well-developed index finger, the absence of tail, and large prominent ears, which are thin, rounded and hairless at the edges.

The soft dense fur is reddish-brown color on the back and the underside is whitish-grey with a sprinkling of silver hair. Its body length on average is 7–10 in (180–250 mm), with an average weight of a mere 3–13 oz (85–370 g). This loris has a four way grip on each foot. The big toe opposes the other 4 toes for a pincer like grip on branches and food. It has a dark face mask with central pale stripe, much like the slow lorises.

The Red Slender Loris favors lowland rainforests (up to 700 m in altitude), tropical rainforests and inter-monsoon forests of the south western wet-zone of Sri Lanka. Masmullah Proposed Forest Reserve harbors one of few remaining Red Slender Loris populations, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot. The Red Slender Loris differ from its close relative the Gray Slender Loris in its frequent use of rapid arboreal locomotion. It forms small social groups, containing adults of both sexes as well as young animals.

This species is among the most social of the nocturnal primates. Habitat destruction is a major threat. It is widely trapped and killed for use in supposed remedies for eye diseases and get killed by snakes, dogs, and some fish.

Other threats include: electrocution on live wires, road accidents and the pet trade.

Toque Macaque



The Toque Macaque (Macaca sinica) is a reddish-brown coloured Old World monkey endemic to both Sri Lanka and southern tip of India, where it is locally known as the ‘Rilewa’ or ‘Rilawa’ (hence ‘Rillow’ in the Oxford English Dictionary). It is named for the Toque shaped whorl of hair on its head, rather like the bonnet of the related Bonnet Macaque. It lives in troops, sometimes numbering up to 20, and has developed into three subspecies. It has a head and body length of 35–55 cm (14–22 in), a tail length of 40–60 cm (16–24 in) and can weigh up to 8.4 kg (19 lb). Troops of the Toque Macaque are a common sight in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, where many ancient temples are situated, hence earning them the nickname of “Temple Monkey”.

There are two subspecies of Toque Macaque that have been described - they are the dryzone Toque Macaque (Macaca sinica sinica), Wetzone Toque Macaque (Macaca sinica aurifrons)

Purple-faced langur



The Purple-faced Langur (Trachypithecus vetulus), or Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, is a species of Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka.

This is a long-tailed arboreal species, mainly brown with a dark facemask and paler lower face. The loud barking call, particularly of the highland form, can be mistaken for the roar of a predator such as a leopard. This was once a common species, which was found even in suburban Colombo and in the wet zone villages, but rapid urbanisation has taken a toll on the numbers of these monkeys.

It is said to be very selective in its diet, and its range has contracted greatly in the face of human encroachment, although it can still be seen in Sinharaja, Kitulgala, in the mountains at Horton Plains National Park or in the rainforest city of Galle

[indunil]

Una-Hapuluwa
(slender Loris) threatened

-The Island News Paper-


The slender Loris (Una Hapuluwa), one of the popular primates in Sri Lanka, is under threat due to wildlife trade worldwide, a study revealed.

In Sri Lanka, Slender Loris body parts may ward off the `evil eye’ and can be used to curse enemies. Finally, their tears are a secret ingredient in love potions. Every year thousands of loris are caught to supply such uses, the study points out.

The Lori is a small nocturnal primate found throughout Asia. "The tendency to freeze when spotted by humans makes lorises particularly vulnerable to collectors," said Anna Nekaris of the Nocturnal Primate Research Group at Oxford Brookes University, and lead author of the study.

Anna has been involved in numerous research studies in Sri Lanka.

She added: "Our study shows that people catch loris any time they see them, usually while out looking for other animals. This makes the problem of the loris trade a difficult one to tackle."

The recently published study in the American Journal of Primatology, examined the trade on the Slow and Slender Loris in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Indonesia and found clear cultural differences between countries in the way the animals are viewed.

Surrounded by superstition, it is believed in South and Southeast Asia that eating loris flesh can cure leprosy, tonics made from loris are claimed to heal wounds and broken bones and help women regain strength after childbirth.

The animals are also in demand from the pet trade, especially in Indonesia, despite the animals possessing a toxic bite. In humans a Slow Loris bite can lead to anaphylactic shock and even death. As a result, in trade Slow Loris often have their teeth removed.

Trade is also illegal: loris is also protected by national laws in every country where they occur naturally and internationally trade in Slow Loris is banned through their listing in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

However, the study found that loris is traded openly in large numbers at animal markets, especially in Indonesia and Cambodia.

"The open trade in these animals highlights a serious lack in enforcement — laws are ignored by wildlife traders who are obviously not afraid of legal repercussions," said Chris Shepherd of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, an author of the study.

"This exemplifies the lack of seriousness in dealing with wildlife crimes, which is leading to many species becoming increasingly rare."

Vincent Nijman of the Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group and an author of the paper stressed the importance of continued monitoring of legal and illegal wildlife trade and proper analysis of these data.

"It is very easy for this kind of trade to slip under the radar, despite perhaps thousands of loris being traded annually. Irregularities in trade, as observed in our studies, indicate that the authorities should be more vigilant and stress the need for improved monitoring and intervention."

The authors argue that local knowledge and beliefs about loris should be used when framing conservation policies to protect these, and other threatened wildlife species in Asia.

[Sanath]

nice bro..
sanath

[indunil]

Name it self implies body color of this small mammal. Eyes are more Circular & reddish but it’s smaller than Gray Slender,body length approximately 20cm & weight 150g,Prefers wet zone thick rainforest but I found in my home garden at Nawagamuwa (near Kaduwela) in the Bamboo bush near  Kalani river few years ago, My mother said it’s usual visitor in early 1980’s at this area, deforesting & industrialization badly effecting their homes now, Small animals, Insect & Fruits are consume time to time,
 
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