Javan slow loris

The Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) is a strepsirrhine primate and a species of slow loris native to the western and central portions of the island of Java, in Indonesia. Although originally described as a separate species, it was considered a subspecies of the Sunda slow loris (N. coucang) for many years, until reassessments of its morphology and genetics in the 2000s resulted in its promotion to full species status. It is most closely related to the Sunda slow loris and the Bengal slow loris (N. bengalensis). The species has two forms, based on hair length and, to a lesser extent, coloration. Its forehead has a prominent white diamond pattern, which consists of a distinct stripe that runs over its head and forks towards the eyes and ears. The Javan slow loris weighs between 565 and 687 g (1.25 and 1.51 lb) and has a head-body length of about 293 mm (11.5 in). Like all lorises it is arboreal, and moves slowly across vines and lianas instead of jumping from tree to tree. Its habitat includes primary and secondary forests, but it can also be found in bamboo and mangrove forests, and on chocolate plantations. Its diet typically consists of fruit, tree gum, lizards and eggs. It sleeps on exposed branches, sometimes in groups, and is usually seen alone or in pairs. The Javan slow loris population is in sharp decline because of poaching for the exotic pet trade, and sometimes for traditional medicine. Remaining populations have low densities, and habitat loss is a major threat. For these reasons the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists its status as critically endangered, and it has also been included on the 2008–2010 list of 'The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates'. It is protected by Indonesian law and, since June 2007, is listed under CITES Appendix I. Despite these protections, as well as its presence in several protected areas, poaching continues; the wildlife protection laws are rarely enforced at the local level. The Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) was first described scientifically in 1812, by the French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. The species name javanicus refers to its place of origin. However, the species was not recognized for long; by 1840, René Primevère Lesson classified it as one of several varieties of a single species of slow loris, which he called Bradylemur tardigradus. In 1921, Oldfield Thomas named a second species of slow loris from Java, Nycticebus ornatus. In his 1971 review of slow loris taxonomy, taxonomist and primatologist Colin Groves recognized the Javan slow loris as a subspecies, Nycticebus coucang javanicus, of the Sunda slow loris (N. coucang), with ornatus as a synonym. It was first recognized as a distinct species again in a 2000 Indonesian field guide on primates by Jatna Supriatna and Edy Hendras Wahyono. In 2008, Groves and Ibnu Maryanto promoted it to species status, based on an analysis of cranial morphology and characteristics of pelage. Molecular analysis of DNA sequences of the D-loop and cytochrome b genes demonstrated it to be genetically distinct from other slow loris species; phylogenetically, it is sister to a clade containing the Bengal slow loris (N. bengalensis) and the Sunda slow loris. Due to its close resemblance to neighboring slow loris species, even rescue centers have been known to misidentify it. There are two forms of the Javan slow loris, distinguished mainly by differences in hair length. These have occasionally been recognized as separate species, N. javanicus and N. ornatus, but are currently both classified as a single species, although their exact taxonomic status remains unclear. The Javan slow loris weighs between 565 and 687 g (1.25 and 1.51 lb) and is similar in appearance to the largest slow loris, the Bengal slow loris. Its face and back are marked with a distinct stripe that runs over the crown and forks, leading to the eyes and ears, which leaves a white diamond pattern on the forehead. Its color is yellowish-gray. In contrast, its head, neck, and shoulders have cream hues. Like the Bornean slow loris (N. menagensis), it lacks the second incisor (I2) in its dentition. The Javan slow loris is larger than both of the other Indonesian slow lorises, the Sunda slow loris and the Bornean slow loris. Based on averages determined from six specimens obtained from the illegal wildlife trade in Java, other morphometric parameters are as follows: head length, 59.2 mm; muzzle length, 19.9 mm; head breadth, 43.6 mm; body breadth, 250.8 mm; head and body length, 293.1 mm; chest girth, 190.8 mm; dark percentage girth (girth measurement of zone with dark dorsal hair, measured as a percent of girth circumference), 48.0 mm; neck circumference, 136.7 mm; tail length, 20.4 mm; humerus length, 67.2 mm; radius length, 71.8 mm; femur length, 83.2 mm; tibia length, 85.9 mm; hand span, 59.1 mm; foot span, 70.3 mm; and ear length, 16.8 mm.