Feeding behavior and food palatability of Sunda slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) at the Primates Research Center, IPB University

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sebelas Maret University, Central Java, Indonesia
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University, West Java, Indonesia
³ School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, West Java, Indonesia
⁴ Primate Research Center, IPB University, West Java, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: tetriwidiyani@staff.uns.ac.id

Abstract

Sunda slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) is a primate native to Indonesia, West Malaysia, southern Thailand, and Singapore. This omnivore species feeds mainly on tree gum, fruits, and insects. Sunda slow loris in ex-situ conservation facilities might not have a similar diet to that of the natural habitat. Here, we studied the feeding behavior and food palatability of Sunda slow loris at the Primate Research Center, IPB University (PRC-IPB). We selected three males and three females of Sunda slow lorises. Over 30 days, we conducted behavioral observations during two time periods: 06:00-12:00 pm and 01.00-06.00 am, using the focal animal sampling method. The first meal was weighed before being delivered to the lorises to monitor Sunda’s slow lorises’ food palatability. Then, after twelve hours, the remaining meal was weighed. Sunda slow loris behavior data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA to differentiate gender. A descriptive analysis of the palatability data was also conducted. Our findings revealed that the feeding behavior percentage (7.34%) of Sunda slow lorises was lower than resting behavior (16.1%) and locomotion behavior (73.8%). Males exhibited a significantly higher percentage of ingestive behavior (19.74%), drinking behavior (33.33%), and defecation behavior (18.52%) than females. The Sunda slow loris feed at PRC-IPB consisted of banana fruit, papaya fruit, boiled chicken eggs, and crickets (as an additional diet). In particular, the banana fruit demonstrated the highest palatability among the foods.