Trade and ethnozoological use of African lorisiformes in the last 20 years

Trade in primates is considered a major impediment to primate conservation globally. The bushmeat trade in West and Central Africa is considered largely unsustainable and represents one of the main threats to biodiversity. Furthermore, the use of primates in traditional practices and medicine includes a third of the African primate species. Little is known about the trade in the African mainland lorisiforms; pottos, angwantibos and galagos. Aiming to fill this knowledge gap we created an online survey, conducted a literature review, and analyzed CITES trade records, focusing on the last two decades. We obtained 188 questionnaire responses from researchers and people working in 31 different countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We found a total of 33 publications reporting on trade in African lorisiforms, and CITES records indicate that almost 2000 lorisiforms were traded internationally from African range countries. Fifty-three percent of respondents provided meaningful details about aspects of the trade in African lorisiforms from 50% of the range countries. Galagos were reported by respondents in larger numbers than pottos and angwantibos, and mainly occurred in the pet trade. Pottos were the most frequently mentioned taxon in the literature, when all trade types were combined. Across all of the sources (online survey, literature and CITES database), trade in pottos and angwantibos was reported from 12 countries, and galagos from 23 countries. Trade was reported to occur mainly within rural settings (64%), potentially indicating that demand is not high enough to fuel long distance trading. However, as seen in the Asian lorisiforms, once quantitative studies were conducted, the threat that trade posed became alarmingly apparent and is now considered a major impediment to their conservation. Our insight into the trade of African lorisiforms should be followed up with concerted studies, with an emphasis on quantifying trade to the species level

Survey of practitioners handling slow lorises (Primates: Nycticebus): an assessment of the harmful effects of slow loris bites

Slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are one of six venomous mammals, and the only known venomous primate. In the wild envenomation occurs mainly during conspecific competition for mates and territory, but may also be used as an application against parasites or for predator defense. Envenomation in humans is documented, with the most extreme accounts detailing near-fatal anaphylactic shock. From September 2016 – August 2017, we received questionnaire responses from 80 wild animal practitioners working with Nycticebus spp. in zoos, rescue centres and in the wild. We identified 54 practitioners who had experience of being bitten or were otherwise affected by slow loris venom, and an additional 26 incomplete entries. No fatalities were reported. Fifteen respondents noted that medical intervention was required, 12 respondents indicated no reaction to being bitten (9 of these indicated they were wearing gloves). Symptoms for those affected included: anaphylactic shock, paraesthesia, haematuria, dyspnoea, extreme pain, infection and general malaise. Impact of slow loris bites ranged from instantaneous to long-persisting complications, and healing time ranged from 1 day to >8 months. Extremities, including hands and arms, were mostly affected from the bites. Six of nine species of slow loris were reported to bite, with N. pygmaeus being the most common in our sample. We make suggestions regarding the use of these highly threatened yet dangerous primates as unsuitable tourist photo props and zoo animal ambassadors. We discuss the medical complications experienced in relation to protein sensitisation, and bacterial pathogenesis. We recommend future work to ascertain the protein content of slow loris venom to aid in enabling mitigation of risks posed

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Abstract Both predator defense and feeding ecology models have been proposed to explain the relatively slow climbing locomotion of the Lorisinae. During a study of the socioecology of the Mysore slender loris (Loris tardigradus lydekkerianus) in Tamil Nadu, India, six categories of behavior and eleven different postures were recorded to estimate a general activity budget for the slender loris, and are examined here particularly in relation to slow climbing locomotor strategies. Reactions to potential predators are also described. The main study population was composed of 15 animals. Activity budgets were compiled in three ways: all instantaneous point samples collected over 1,173 h pooled (n = 13,717), the means of individual lorises (n = 15) and behavior at the moment of first contact (n = 357). No significant difference was found between these three data sets. Approximately 45% of the activity budget was spent in inactive behaviors including sitting vigilant, resting and sleeping. Foraging and traveling comprised nearly half the activity budget, with the rest of the time spent grooming. The most common postures assumed by lorises were sitting and quadrupedal walking. Individual lorises were relatively gregarious and spent up to half their activity budget with other animals. Unlike pottos and angwantibos, lorises did not freeze, head butt or drop from branches in reaction to potential predators, but either ignored them, fled or made loud calls. Cryptic and slow climbing locomotion were used before traveling on open ground between discontinuous substrates, thereby supporting hypotheses relating to predator pres- sure, and also before capturing fast moving insect prey, supporting hypotheses relating to diet. It is proposed that a divergence in foraging strategies between bushbabies and lorisines may be the best adaptive explanation for their behavioral and morphological differences, including predator defense mechanisms