Pygmy Slow Loris - Behavior

Behavior

The pygmy slow loris is nocturnal, although it is least active on cold, moonlit nights and is generally active on dark nights, regardless of temperature. In the wild, it is normally encountered alone, or in small groups of two to four individuals. Males use scent marking to defend territories and mark their boundaries. Females prefer to mate with males whose scent is familiar. Males will also countermark—mark over or adjacent to another individual's mark deposited earlier—to advertise competitive ability to females. Females actively prefer countermarking males to males whose odors have been countermarked.

The pygmy slow loris produces an apocrine secretion on scent glands near their elbow (brachial glands). This clear liquid, when mixed with its saliva, creates a volatile, noxious toxin. When startled, the slow loris licks its brachial glands and applies the secretion to its heads. The oily secretion contains a complex mixture of volatile and semi-volatile components; one chemical analysis indicated over 200 components were present. One of the components is a member of the secretoglobin family of proteins, and similar to an allergenic protein found in cat dander. The similarity between the brachial gland secretions and domestic cat allergens may account for anaphylaxis in susceptible individuals.

Vocalizations of the pygmy slow loris include a short whistle, mother-infant contact calls, and a whistling sound produced during estrus.