Slow Loris Soft Stuffed Plush Toy

NOCTURNAL PHANTOM OF THE ASIAN RAINFOREST

❃ The slow loris (genus Nycticebus) is a small, enigmatic arboreal primate native to the tropical rainforests, bamboo groves, and mangrove swamps of South and Southeast Asia. Measuring between eight and fifteen inches in length with a vestigial tail hidden beneath dense fur, this gentle-looking tree dweller is famous for its round head, woolly brownish-gray coat, prominent spinal stripe, and enormous, luminous dark amber eyes tailored for night vision.

❃ Beneath its endearing, teddy-bear-like appearance lies one of nature's rarest evolutionary marvels: the slow loris is one of the world’s only venomous mammals. Located on the inside of its elbows are specialized brachial glands that secrete an oily, pungent chemical compound. When threatened, the loris raises its arms above its head, licks the gland to combine the secretion with saliva, and delivers a venomous bite capable of causing severe allergic reactions, necrosis, and shock in predators.

❃ Moving through the forest canopy with slow, deliberate, and near-silent stealth, slow lorises possess specialized retia mirabilia in their limbs—vascular bundles that deliver continuous oxygen to their muscles, allowing their vice-like hands and feet to maintain a death-grip on branches for hours without cramping. As nocturnal omnivores, they quietly forage for tree gum, nectar, wild fruits, insects, and small vertebrates beneath the cover of darkness. Mysterious, venomous, and visually mesmerizing, the slow loris is one of the most unique and treasured primates of the tropical jungle.