Pygmy slow loris
Amazing fact
Pygmy slow lorises mix fluid from glands inside their elbows with saliva to make their bites venomous.
San Diego Zoo
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Pygmy slow lorises mix fluid from glands inside their elbows with saliva to make their bites venomous.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Pygmy slow loris
- Scientific name
- Nycticebus pygmaeus
- Japanese name
- レッサースローロリス
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Lorisidae
- Genus
- Nycticebus
Where the name “Pygmy slow loris” comes from
The name “loris” comes from an old Dutch word meaning clown.
Smithsonian National ZooIt is a nocturnal animal that lives alone, mostly up in the trees, in the forests of Vietnam and Laos.
It is a little smaller than the Sunda slow loris. Its strong grip lets it hang by its feet and gather food with both hands.
It eats fruit and insects. To catch prey, it can stand up on its hind legs and throw its upper body forward to pounce.
How the Pygmy slow loris lives
During the day, they often sleep curled into a ball in a tree hollow. They gouge bark with their lower teeth to release sap, visiting the sites each night to eat it. In cold winter months, they can lower their temperature, reduce activity, and live on stored fat.
Smithsonian National ZooUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
Where the Pygmy slow loris has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- レッサースローロリス
- 简体中文
- 倭蜂猴
- 繁體中文
- 倭蜂猴
- 한국어
- 피그미늘보로리스
- Français
- Loris lent pygmée
- Deutsch
- Zwerg-Plumplori
- العربية
- لوريس بطئ قزمي
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Kukang kerdil
- Tiếng Việt
- Cu li chậm lùn
- Русский
- Малый лори
- ไทย
- ลิงลมแคระ
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — レッサースローロリスChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Nycticebus pygmaeusChecked: 2026-11-03
- San Diego Zoo — Pygmy Slow LorisChecked: 2026-11-06
- Smithsonian National Zoo — Pygmy slow lorisChecked: 2026-11-06
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Pygmy slow loris, look for this
- Look for the large, round eyes that face forward.
- Look for patterns of light and dark fur on the face, including rings around the eyes.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
Smithsonian National ZooEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Pygmy slow loris
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Lorisidae
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