| Golden pottos[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Calabar angwantibo,Arctocebus calabarensis | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Strepsirrhini |
| Family: | Lorisidae |
| Subfamily: | Perodicticinae |
| Genus: | Arctocebus J. E. Gray, 1863 |
| Type species | |
| Perodicticus calabarensis J. A. Smith, 1860 | |
| Species | |
Angwantibos are two species ofstrepsirrhineprimates classified in the genusArctocebus of the familyLorisidae. They are also known asgolden pottos because of their yellow or golden coloration.
Angwantibos live in tropicalAfrica and their range includesNigeria,Cameroon north of theDemocratic Republic of Congo.
Angwantibos grow to a size of 22 to 30 cm, and have almost no tail at all. They only weigh up to 0.5 kg. Their fur is yellow brown to golden in color. Their snout is more pointed than that of the other lorids and this, along with their round ears, gives it the bear-like appearance that lends them their name inGerman:Bärenmaki, "bear lemur".
Solitary,nocturnal andarboreal, they prefer the underbrush and the lower layers of the forests. They spend the day hidden in the leaves. Like all lorisids they are characterized by slow movements.
The diet of angwantibos consists predominantly of insects (mostly caterpillars), and occasionally fruits. Owing to their careful movements and their good sense of smell, they can quietly stalk and close-in on their prey and catch it with a lightning-quick movement.
The males mate with all available females whoseterritory overlaps with theirs.[citation needed]Copulation takes place hanging onto a branch.[2] Gestation lasts 130 days and births are of a single offspring. The juvenile clasps itself first to the belly of the mother and later she may park her offspring on a branch while she goes searching for food. Within three to four months the young are weaned, at about six months it leaves its mother, and at an age of eight to ten months it becomes fully mature. The life expectancy of angwantibos is at most 13 years.[citation needed]
A subplot inGerald Durrell's first bookThe Overloaded Ark centres on his attempts to secure an angwantibo for zoological study.
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calabar angwantibo
| A. calabarensis (J. A. Smith, 1860) | Western equatorial Africa | Size: 22–31 cm (9–12 in) long, plus 4–10 cm (2–4 in) tail[3] Habitat: Forest[4] Diet: Insects, as well as fruit and gum[3] | NT
|
| Golden angwantibo | A. aureus de Winton, 1902 | Western equatorial Africa | Size: 22–26 cm (9–10 in) long, plus vestigial tail[5] Habitat: Forest[6] Diet: Insects and fruit[6] | LC
|
