Bosman's potto, "softly-softly"s
The West African potto (Perodicticus potto) is a nocturnal strepsirrhine primate found in tropical West Africa. It is also known as Bosman's potto, after Willem Bosman, who described the species in 1704. In some English-speaking parts of Africa, pottos are also called "softly-softly".
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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...
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GumivorousA gummivore is an omnivorous animal whose diet consists primarily of the gums and saps of trees (about 90%) and bugs for protein. Notable gummivore...
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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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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong 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 withWest African pottos have long, slender bodies, large eyes, and small, round ears. They have woolly fur which is grey-brown in color. Pottos 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 tail, which they use to mark their territories and reinforce pair bonds. Pottos have a distinct odor that some observers have described as a smell of curry.
West African pottos occur from Guinea west to Nigeria, with a disjunct population in eastern Senegal. They live in tropical moist forests and swamp forests. They can also be found in plantations.
West African pottos are nocturnal tree-dwelling creatures; they sleep during the day in the leaves and almost never descend 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 solitary except for the mothers and their young. They have large territories which the animals mark with urine and glandular secretions. 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 "freeze" and 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, gumivorous) animals. They feed mainly on fruits and supplement their diet with tree gum and insects.
Little is known about the mating system of pottos. It is suggested, however, that these animals may be polygynous where one male mates with more than one female. 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 (1-1.8 ounces) at birth. The young first clings to the belly of the mother, but later she carries them on her back. The mother can also hide her offspring in the leaves while searching for food. After about 6 months, the infant is weaned and becomes fully mature after about 18 months.
An increase in human population and subsequent habitat destruction in West Africa are of major risk to the species. Heavy deforestation for industrial agriculture is thought to have led to rapid population declines in West African pottos. In addition, these animals are more frequently hunted for bushmeat due to a decline in larger animals to hunt, which has in turn also caused pottos to become rarer. 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 West African potto total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
Due to their frugivorous diet, pottos play an important role in their native ecosystem as they help disperse seeds of fruits they consume.
