Source: The Indian Express
Why in News?
Recently, scientists from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore carried out a survey of Grey slender loris populations in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul forest division.
What is Grey Slender Loris?
About:
The Grey slender loris belongs to the family Loridae.
It is a species of primate.
It has got a lean and lanky appearance, with longer and slender limbs, larger ears, pointed snout and eyes circled with black or dark brown.
The fur is soft and woolly. The colour varies from dark grey to earthy brown.
The Grey slender loris is a nocturnal animal. It is also a slow-moving animal. It comes down into the bushes to feed and crosses open stretches of ground to enter isolated groves or to cross from one tree to another.
Though it is insectivorous, it is fond of berries also.
Habitat:
They are found in tropical rainforests, scrub forests, semi-deciduous forests, and swamps.
Grey Slender Loris generally inhabits dry and drought-prone areas of Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu.
It is found in acacia and tamarind-dominated thorn and scrub forests near cultivated fields.
The species occurs in southern and eastern India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka.
Types:
There are two species of Slender Loris, the only members of the genus ‘Loris’:
Red Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus)
Grey Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus)
Threat:
The loris has become threatened mainly because of habitat loss.
The disappearance of the acacia tree, a preferred tree species of the loris, hunting for the pet trade and for their meat, road kills, superstitious kills, traditional medicine and habitat fragmentation pose serious threats to this primate.
Protection Status:
IUCN: Near Threatened
CITES: Appendix II
Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I
