Bosman's potto, "softly-softly"
Pottos are slow-moving primates. They are also known as Bosman's potto and in some English-speaking parts of Africa, they are called "softly-softly". These animals have long, slender bodies, large eyes and small, round ears. They have woolly fur which is grey-brown in color. Photos have strong limbs with opposable thumbs with which they grasp branches firmly; the second fingers on their limbs are short. These animals have a moist nose, toothcomb, and a toilet claw on the second toe of the hind legs. The neck has 4-6 low growths that cover their elongated vertebrae which have sharp points and nearly pierce the skin; these are used as defensive weapons. Both males and females have large scent glands under the, which they use to mark their territories and to reinforce pair bonds. Pottos have a distinct odor that some observers have described as a smell of curry.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withPottos are found in Africa, from Nigeria , Guinea to Kenya and Uganda into the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They live in the canopy of rain forests.
Pottos are nocturnal and arboreal creatures that sleep during the day in the leaves and almost never descending from the trees. These animals move slowly and carefully, always gripping a branch with at least two limbs. They are also quiet and avoid predators using cryptic movement. Their most common call is a high-pitched "tsic", which is usually used between mother and offspring. Pottos are territorial animals. They have large territories which the animals mark with urine and glandular secretions. They vehemently guard their territory from same-sex intruders. Each male's territory generally overlaps with two or more females. Females may donate part of their territories to their daughters, but sons leave their mother's territory upon maturity. If threatened, pottos hide their face and neck-butt their opponent, using their unusual vertebrae. These animals can also deliver a powerful bite. Their saliva contains compounds that cause the wound to become inflamed.
Pottos are herbivorous (frugivorous) animals and feed mainly on fruits. They also eat tree gums and insects. Pottos have also occasionally been known to catch bats and small birds. The insects they may eat tend to have a strong smell and are generally not eaten by other animals.
Little is known about the mating system of pottos. It is suggested, however, that these animals may be polygynous where one males mates with more than one female or polygynandrous (promiscuous) where both males and females have multiple partners. During the mating season pottos perform courtship rituals which include mutual grooming with claws and teeth, licking and scent-marking each other. These rituals are frequently performed while they hang upside down from a branch. Breeding can take place year-round and varies regionally. After a gestation period of about 193-205 days, the female gives birth, typically to a single young, occasionally twins. The infant weighs 30-52 g at birth. The young first clings to the belly of the mother, but later she carries them on her back. She can also hide her young in the leaves while searching for food. After about 6 months, the infant is weaned and becomes fully mature after about 18 months.
Main threats to pottos include deforestation of their habitat, human hunting, and predation. These animals suffer from deforestation and human developement more severely than other arboreal primates because forests are usually cleared during the day while pottos are sleeping. Due to their slow moving and their habit to freeze when threatened, these animals are easily get burned or cut down with the trees. Pottos that live near villages suffer from humans, who hunt them as bushmeat.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the pottos total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Pottos are frugivorous animals and thus play an important role as seed dispercers in the ecosystem the live.
