Golden potto  (Arctocebus aureus)

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).

This small, nocturnal primate has thick, woolly fur, which, as its name suggests, is golden-red or orange in colour. The underparts are creamy or greyish, and fine guard hairs on the back, shoulders and haunches have crinkled tips, giving the fur a frosted appearance. The head is rounded, with a pointed, narrow muzzle, the ears are small and rounded, and the eyes are large, giving the golden potto excellent night vision (2) (4) (5). The golden potto has no tail, and, instead, its extremely powerful grip, made possible by a specialised arrangement of blood vessels in the wrists and ankles, aids it in moving securely through the trees (2) (6). In common with other Loridae (lorises and pottos), the golden potto has nails on all digits except for the second digit of each foot, which possesses a ‘toilet claw’, used in grooming (2) (6). Interestingly, the index finger is reduced to a mere stub (2) (5) (6).

Previously considered a subspecies of the Calabar Potto, Arctocebus calabarensis, the golden potto is smaller, more slender, and has shorter and brighter red-orange fur (4) (5) (6).

The golden potto has a widespread but patchy distribution in the tropical forests of West Africa, in Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Central African Republic (1) (4).

The golden potto inhabits moist evergreen, lowland forest, preferring areas with fallen trees or young secondary growth. It is generally found in the understorey, below five metres, and may also venture onto the forest floor in search of food. It avoids climbing higher than about 15 metres, where the risk of predation, competition with birds, and exposure to wind and sun is higher, and also avoids climbing larger branches which its small, narrow hands and feet are not suited to grasping (4).

Active mainly at night, the golden potto sleeps by day in thick foliage or in the shelter of tree crevices. It moves through the trees on all fours, using a slow, deliberate, ‘hand-over-hand’ movement, and crosses between trees by stretching between terminal branches, rather than by leaping or jumping (2) (6). On the ground, the golden potto shows a unique defensive behaviour. If threatened, it stands with limbs rigid, widely spaced and fully extended, and the head tucked into the chest. If touched, it may lunge at the attacker from between the legs, with a quick, slashing bite (4). Alternatively, when in the trees, it may simply roll into a ball while clinging tightly to a branch (2) (5).

The golden potto feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates, particularly caterpillars, which it supplements with fruit. It may even rear onto its hind legs and use the hands to catch moths in flight (2) (5). The golden potto eats many unpalatable and even poisonous invertebrates (4), and is thought to have an unusually slow metabolism which may allow undesirable chemicals to be neutralised in the gut (6). Although mainly solitary, the golden potto may occasionally meet with other individuals with whom its home range overlaps (5) (6). Most communication is through sound and scent (4) (6). The female gives birth twice a year, to a single infant (1), after a gestation of between 131 and 136 days. The infant clings to the female’s belly for the first three to four months, after which it is weaned, and begins to follow the female or ride on her back. Individuals become sexually mature at around eight to ten months and may live up to thirteen years (2).

The main threat to the golden potto is habitat loss, due to logging and cultivation (1) (2). Although still relatively widespread (1), and thought to be too small and cryptic to face much danger from human hunters (4), traps are not selective, meaning the golden potto may be threatened by traps set for other species, particularly in light of its habit of coming down to the ground (7). The opening up of previously inaccessible areas for logging may lead to increased hunting pressure (8), and there may also be indirect effects of poaching of other species; for example, forest elephants help create the areas of secondary growth favoured by the golden potto, and the loss of these elephants may therefore reduce golden potto habitat (7).

The golden potto is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning international trade in the species should be carefully controlled (3). It is also protected by law in Gabon, and is listed under Class B of the African Convention, which only allows it to be legally hunted, killed or captured with special authorisation (1) (9). It is presumed to occur in a number of the new National Parks in Gabon (1), and its ability to live in secondary forest may help the golden potto to survive in habitats that have been disturbed by humans (2). However, the species is difficult to census thoroughly because of its nocturnal and secretive habits, so more research may be needed to fully establish the conservation status and long-term outlook of this poorly known primate (1).

For further information on potto and loris conservation see:

Loris and Potto Conservation Database:
http://www.loris-conservation.org/database/index.html

For further information on primate conservation see:

IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group:
http://www.primate-sg.org/

• Evergreen forest: forest consisting mainly of evergreen trees, which retain leaves all year round. This is in contrast to deciduous trees, which completely lose their leaves for part of the year.
• Gestation: the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth.
• Guard hair: in some mammals, long, coarse hairs that protect the softer layer of fur below.
• Home range: the area occupied by an animal during routine activities, which is not actively defended.
• Invertebrates: animals with no backbone.
• Nocturnal: active at night.
• Secondary forest: forest that has re-grown after a major disturbance, such as fire or timber harvest, but has not yet reached the mature state of primary forest.
• Subspecies: a population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

1. IUCN Red List (November, 2008)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org/
2. Nowak, R.M. (1991) Walker’s Mammals of the World. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London.
3. CITES (November, 2008)
   http://www.cites.org/
4. Kingdon, J. (1997) The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press, London.
5. Ankel-Simons, F. (1999) Primate Anatomy: An Introduction. Academic Press, San Diego, California.
6. Macdonald, D.W. (2006) The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
7. Conservation Database for Lorises and Pottos (November, 2008)
   http://www.loris-conservation.org/database/index.html
8. Blom, A., Alers, M.P.T., Feistner, A.T.C., Barnes, R.F.W. and Barnes, K.L. (1992) Primates in Gabon - current status and distribution. Oryx, 26(4): 223 - 234.
9. African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (November, 2008)
   http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/Text/Convention_Nature%20&%20Natural_Resources.pdf