Known for its slow and deliberate gait, the slow loris is surprisingly swift when striking at prey that is within reach. The grip of its hind feet is so strong and its backbone so flexible that it can twist around extensively, above and below branches, even hang upside down while using its hands to forage or to capture prey.
A truly arboreal primate, it is almost never seen out of the treetops. The dark patches around its eyes remind one of a clown, hence its name ‘loris’, which means clown in Dutch.