Husbandry Manual for Asian Lorisines (Nycticebus & Loris ssp.)
 

DIET

Diet Composition in the Wild

After studying slow loris, Barrett (1984) concluded that fruit consumption accounted for the major portion of feeding time (time spent ingesting food), but foraging time (attempting to catch, manipulating or inspecting food item) was primarily spent searching for invertebrates (Table 14).

Table 14: The diet of N. coucang at Sungai Tekam, expressed in terms of the proportion of feeding and foraging time devoted to different food types (given in percent of 5-minute observations).
 

Slow loris feces were analyzed in the same study. Beetles and weevils (Coleoptera), caterpillars (Lepidoptera), crickets (Orthoptera) and spiders (Arachnida) were the identified invertebrate remains. The fibrous portion of a large seed was the only vegetable matter identified. There was no evidence of foliage in the feces.

Table 15: Identified food items in the diet of N. coucang, using data from site observations and fecal samples (Barrett, 1984).
 

Barrett (1984) did not see the slow loris feeding or foraging for fruit in logged forest. This type of habitat was only used for insect or gum feeding. The slow loris divided the time almost equally between feeding on fruit and insects during the early part of the night. Almost two-thirds of the later part of the night feeding involved insects.

Pygmy lorises have been observed in an area where they were most likely feeding on gum. Three
 
 
 

The slender lorises at Ruhr-University Bochum will readily eat avocado and chicken; however, these items are no longer offered because of possible links to health problems such as kidney problem
 

Loris Husbandry Manual

Table 16: Nutritional information from Ruhr-University Bochum for slender lorises.
 

(Helga Schulze, pers. com.) At Ruhr-University, at intervals a plastic foil is spread over the cage floor and urine collected on it is tested with urine dipsticks for human diabetes and kidney disease, and when there are color changes indicating sugar or protein in the urine, the diet is adapted in a reasonable way. Their slender lorises also take lettuce readily, which appears unusual since the lettuce given to slender lorises at San Diego Zoo is usually left uneaten.

Table 17: Daily diet of lorises at San Diego Zoo.
 

Survey Summary

A survey of the foods used as dietary components for pygmy loris by member institutions was conducted in 1997 by the Nutrition Advisors. All eleven participating institutions responded.

I. Current Diet

A. Manufactured Diets
All participating institutions use a nutritionally complete manufactured food as part of the pygmy loris diet. Ten of the eleven (10/11) surveyed offer a dry manufactured food as part of the diet, 5/11 also offer a canned Zu-preem diet.

B. Produce
All surveyed offer produce. 7/11 offer a chopped mix of fruits and vegetables - 2/6 include leafy vegetables in their mix. 4/11offer individual fruits and vegetables - 1/4 also offer leafy vegetables.

C. Supplements
3/11 add supplements to the prepared diet. 1/3 reported adding 1/8 children’s vitamin tablet with extra C 1X week/animal. 1/3 reported adding a multivitamin mineral powder to the diet. 1/3 reported adding a protein multivitamin mineral powder to the fruit and vegetable mix and additional vitamin C to the prepared diet daily.
 

Loris Husbandry Manual

D. Invertebrates
10/11 reported offering invertebrates to the diet. 10/10 reported these as being mealworms, crickets or a combination of both. 1/10 also offers super giant mealworms, waxworms, tobacco moths and larva and very occasionally June bugs.

E. Other Items
2/11 reported other items than listed above as part of the diet. 1/2 offers cooked egg white daily and 1/2 offers boiled ground beef 1X/wk and yogurt 6X/week.

II.      Quantification of Diet Offered

9/11 measure the food offered. 4/11 measure the amount of each item offered each time the animals are fed. 5/8 measured the original diet, and offer amounts which they believe to be consistent with the original diet each time the animals are fed. 1/4 which measures food each feeding does so by volume, 3/4 measure food by weight.

III.    Quantification of Diet Consumed

3/11 reported regularly measuring consumed items or leavings.

IV.    Food Presentation

10/11 reported presentation of food either in bowls, pans or plates, 4/11 added that the feeding dishes were elevated off the floor, 6/11 did not note feed dish location. 1/11 reported that all food for the animals is hidden throughout the exhibit and the animals must forage for it.

V.      Housing

Members reported housing the pygmy loris in a variety of ways among and within institutions. 4/11 house pygmy loris with other species including tree shrews, slender loris, galago, dwarf lemur, mouse lemur and Garnett’s greater bush baby. 8/11 reported housing some of their animals as singles - 1/8 reported that singles are housed as pairs during the breeding season. 8/11 reported housing pygmy loris in family groups or pairs.

VI.    Diet Analysis

6/11 has had either their current diet analyzed or a similar diet analyzed for nutritional content. 1/6 had their diet analyzed chemically by a feed company and 5/6 had their diet analyzed by calculation or computer analysis - 1/6 had their diet analyzed both chemically and by computer. 2/6 had diets similar to their current diet or a diet used in the past analyzed by computer - however, the diets currently in use at those institutions have not been analyzed. 1/6 reported diet analysis as standard at their institution. All reported analyzing the entire diet. Actual diet analysis is available on current diets for three institutions.

Dietary Components

I.      Complete Feeds

As reported in the survey summary, a variety of manufactured nutritionally complete feeds are offered by member institutions. It is the belief of the nutrition advisors that nutritionally complete feeds are essential in the diets of captive pygmy loris. Fortunately, all member institutions currently use a manufactured complete feed. Future analysis may reveal that some
 

Purina Cat Chow

Mazuri Monkey Crunch

Mazuri omnivore biscuit

Mazuri leaf-eater biscuit

Marion leaf-eater biscuit

Marion Apple Jungle biscuit

b) Of the 57 animals represented in the survey, a complete feed or a combination of complete feeds comprise an average of 35.5% of the as fed diet. The range offered was 22.5% - 68% of the as fed diet.

Adult lorises weigh between 425 and 600 g. These animals should be able to consume 5% of their body weight in dry matter or 21.25 to 30 g of dry matter daily. Survey results report that captive lorises are offered 7.94 – 28.8 g (dry matter) of complete feed. The average offered per animal (n=57) is 14.96 g (dry matter).

II.      Produce

Produce comprises an average of 54.9% of the diets (n=57). A variety of produce is offered including fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables and leafy vegetables. Fruit comprises the majority of produce offered at all institutions. The range for offered produce was 27 - 77% of the as fed diet.

III.    Insects

All but one institution reported offering insects. Insect comprise an average of 4% of the surveyed animal diets (n=57). The range was 0.9 - 6.8% of the as fed diet.

IV.    Miscellaneous Foods

Miscellaneous foods were offered at three institutions and comprised 4 - 12% of the as fed diet. It is interesting to note that the majority of the miscellaneous foods offered are high in protein.

V.      Supplements

Only three institutions report the addition of supplements to the pygmy loris diet. One institution added approximately 30 mg Vitamin C/animal to the diet. The complete feeds chosen by this institution provided less than the average. One institution provided only one complete feed containing no vitamin C. This institution did not report any supplementation; however, the institution does offer produce rich in vitamin C.

Loris Husbandry Manual

Table 18: The average and range nutrient density of the total complete feeds in the captive diet (n=57 animals) of the pygmy loris: Complete Feed Component of the Diet Compared to NRC’78 Old World Primate Requirements (Energy by 2X Klieber Equation 500 g animal).
 

Conclusion

Eleven institutions housing 58 animals participated in this survey. All institutions report having animals in good health, a few report difficulty with breeding, and several report tooth and gum problems. The nutrition advisors believe that all participating members are providing the minimal nutrient levels required by their animals for maintenance at this time. Much more research is needed to determine optimum dietary components and nutrient levels.

Feeding Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to assist in the formulation of diets for pygmy loris. The guidelines pertain to animals at maintenance ONLY. Dietary and nutrient recommendations will be made as the information becomes available.

1.       Complete Feed

Provide approximately 60% of the animals dry matter requirement with a complete feed (primates can consume approximately 5% of their body weight in Dry Matter).

Dry diets are approximately                             90% dry

Canned diets are approximately                       40% dry

2.       Produce

Provide a variety of produce up to 50% of the offered diet as fed.
 

3.       Supplements

Supplements for nutrients deficient in the complete feed portion of the diet.

4.       Insects

Up to 5% of the as fed diet can consist of insects.

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Management of Lorises in Captivity. A Husbandry Manual for Asian Lorisines (Nycticebus & Loris ssp.) Edited by: Helena Fitch-Snyder and Helga Schulze. Compiler: Lena C. Larsen

Last amendment: 2 January 2003