Rare Primate Caught On Camera For the First Time
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It took the researchers from the Zoological Society of London, 200 hours to find this elusive creature, but in the end it was well-worth it! For they managed to do what nobody else has every done before - take amazing pictures of the Horton Plains Slender Loris, last seen in 1939 and thought to be long extinct!
The wide-eyed mammal, which has been seen only four times since 1937, was reportedly spotted in 2002, but since no pictures were taken, the sighting was never verified. However, that report encouraged the Zoological society and some researchers from Sri Lanka, to launch a search for this tiny, eight-inch long prosimian.
Native to the jungles of Sri Lanka and India, the Horton Plains Slender Loris is part of the Slender Loris family, a nocturnal animal, the size of a chipmunk that resides in the thick, thorny vegetation, where it can avoid predators and find plenty of insects to eat.
The Horton Plains species appears to have short and sturdier limbs, possibly an adaptation to the cooler high altitude Montane forests (forests that get their precipitation from mist or fog), where it lives. Scientists are now trying to conduct further studies to see if it is different enough to be classified as a sub-species of the Slender Loris similar to the Red Slender Loris and the Gray Slender Loris.
Exciting as the find is, scientists are hoping that many more of these beautiful creatures do exist - But given that their primary habitat, the Montane forests, now comprise of less than one percent of Sri Lanka,they are not too optimistic. Hopefully, we will be able save them before they totally disappear.
sources: wired.com,edition.cnn.com
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97 Comments
- JamesLover 14 yearsI can't believe that this animal has been seen four times since 1937. The scientists must be surprised because for year, they thought this animal was extinct. I hope they try there best to prevent this species from becoming extinct.
- JamesLover 14 yearsI'm suprised that this animal has been seen only four times since 1937. I think the scientists must have been surprised because for years they thought they were extinct then suddenly, they see one! I hope they try their hardest prevent that species from becoming extinct.
- Vanesa Lover 14 yearsWhen I read this article, I learned that Sri Lanka has been found only four times since 1937 but was reportedly spotted in 2002 but no pictures were taken, so the slighting was never verified. I thought this article was very interesting because I never knew there was a rare-primate called Sri Lanka. I hope Scientists find out more about this creature!
- Vanesa Lover 14 yearsWhen I read this article, I learned that Sri Lanka has been found only four times since 1937 but was reportedly spotted in 2002 but no pictures were taken, so the slighting was never verified. I thought this article was very interesting because I never knew there was a rare-primate called Sri Lanka.
- Ella Zover 14 yearsI thought that this article was very interesting. I still can't believe that they haven't seen this animal for such a long time. I like to know that we are trying to help animals.
- Andrew L.over 14 yearsi liked this article because i have seen and learned about a rare primate i showed my sister brother my other sister my mom my other mom and my step mom they all had different comments my sister was like wow cool my other sister was like why are the eyes so big my brother was like whatever my mom was like cool very cool my other mom was like awesome and my step mom was like cool Andrew so i had a lot of fun with this topic.
- Clarissa M.over 14 yearsI liked this article because it was very interesting and very facinating and tells you all about the Sri Lanka. I think that you should read this article because it tells you so much more than you ever knew about Sri Lanka and so cool.
- brockover 14 yearsI think the loris is a interesting animal. It is nocturnal and was thought to be well extinct
- Jennings Chengover 14 yearsI can't believe it hasn't been seen since 1939! I hope the Horton Plains Slender Loris doesn't entirely disappear, due to the fact that their forest is cut down to about the size of 1 percent of Sri Lanka. Hopefully, we can work together and help save them, before the Indian and Sri Lankan population grows to 1.5 billion. Save The animals!
- Anthony Linover 14 yearsScientists fond a thaght to be extinct. It all started with a person spotting it. I wish I could see it to.