The Slender Loris
Latin Name : Loris
tardigradus (Linnaeus)
Local Name : Devangapilli (Telugu), Tevanga (Tamil)
The
slender loris belongs to the order Primates. The animal species is lanky in
appearance and has bony limbs, with the tail almost absent. The eyes of a
slender loris are proportionately larger, as compared to its body size.
These larger eyes also look quite charming. The animal is nocturnal in habit
and is active only after dusk.
The animal measures 20-25 cm in length and an adult male weighs around 280
to 340 gm. The females, however, have less weight, around 225 gm. The fur on
its body is soft and wooly. The forelimbs of the animal are characterised by
movable fingers, known for their pincer like grip. It is interesting to note
that a slender loris can fall asleep even while holding on to a branch. Not
much is known about the mating of this animal species. The gestation period
extends over 3 months.
Fulvous
Fruit Bat
Latin Name : Rousettus
leschenaulti (Desmarest)
Local Name : Gabbillam (Telugu)
These
bats are well distributed across the Indian peninsula and South East Asia.
They are gregarious in nature and mostly inhabit caves, tunnels, old
wreckings and big trees. The group size of a fulvous fruit bat may vary from
10 to 2,000.
From head to body, a bat measures 127 mm in length whereas the tail is 18
mm. The length of the forearm ranges between 72 and 86 mm. Light brown in
colour, the fulvous fruit bat has an excellent sense of smell. The bat
leaves it colony after dusk in search of fruit bearing trees. November to
March is the mating time for bats. Breeding takes place between March and
August.
The
Capped Langur or Leaf Monkey
Latin Name : Presbytis
pileatus (Blyth)
Local Name : The capped langur
It
is a rare primate found at Tripura in India and in the Chittagong Hills of
Bangladesh. The prominent feature of this monkey is its cap, which are
actually long coarse hairs directed backwards from the forehead. Like other
langurs, the capped langurs are also vegetarians.
An adult capped langur measures 60-70 cm in length from head to body. Its
tail is 75-100 cm. On an average, the monkey is 12 kg in weight. The leafy
monkey has a slender and graceful build, unlike the macaques. It has a dusky
grey coat, with a well-defined crest that defines the head. They leave in
search of food after down. The monkeys feed upon fruits, flowers and leaves.
They live in groups and females are larger in number than males.
