Arctocebus calabarensis

Geographic Range

Golden pottos, Arctocebus calabarensis , are endemic in western equatorial Africa, and are found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Zaire.

• Biogeographic Regions
• ethiopian ethiopian
  • native native

Habitat

Arctocebus calabarensis can be found in primary and secondary forests, where it prefers tree fall zones. This species also resides within forestry and agricultural plantations. Arctocebus calabarensis is adapted to undergrowth, foraging within the lower canopy of the forest. It will spend most of its time within 5 m of the ground.

• Habitat Regions
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• rainforest rainforest

Physical Description

The body mass of A. calabarensis can range from 266 to 465 grams. The head-body length ranges from 229 to 305 mm. This species has a reduced, nub-like tail that measures from 4 to 10 cm, along with a reduced index finger. The second digit on each toe is used as a grooming claw.

Pelage coloration ranges from orange to yellow to brown on the dorsal side, with white or buff pelage on the ventral side. Facial markings include a white stripe above the nose.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes alike

Reproduction

Males mate polygynously, copulating with the females whose home ranges overlap their territories. A female signals to a male that she is ready to mate by suspending herself upside down from a branch. Both male and female suspend themselves upside-down from a branch during copulation.

• Mating System
• polygynous polygynous

Females have an estrous cycle of 36 to 45 days. Gestation lasts between 131 and 136 days. They are capable of breeding more than one time per year, although details on interbirth intervals are not available.

The breeding season typically begins in the middle of the dry season and lasts until the start of the wet season. Because of this, golden pottos can breed more than once per year. Golden pottos copulate only at the end of the estrous cycle, when the female is about to ovulate. The female signals to the male that she is ready to mate by suspending herself upside down from a branch. Both male and female suspend themselves upside-down from a branch during copulation.

Females give birth to a single offspring. The young potto clings to the belly of the mother for about 4 months. Young are weaned between three and four months of age, at which time they begin to ride on their mother's back. Young leave the mother's home range around six months of age. They reach sexual maturity around 18 months.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Males are not known to provide parental care in this species. At birth, the young are able to cling to the mother's fur, and have their eyes open. They are not able to climb or walk well on their own. The female cares for the young, carrying the infant first on her belly and later on her back. Females nurse their offspring for 3 to 4 months, and forage with them in the underbrush for another 2 months. At about 6 months of age, the young disperse.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • protecting
    • female
• extended period of juvenile learning

Lifespan/Longevity

In the wild, golden pottos can be expected to live anywhere from 12 to 15 years with an average life expectance of 13 years. When kept in captivity the lifespan of A. calabarensis can extend from 18 to 20 years.

Behavior

Males have home ranges which overlap the home ranges of 2 to 3 females. Pottos are solitary animals who forage and sleep alone, although throughout the year, a male makes contact with females resident in his home range.

This species moves slowly and is a quadrupedal climber. While climbing, three of a golden potto’s limbs are always grasping for support while swinging from branch to branch. Golden pottos are nocturnal and arboreal, sleeping within thick foliage cover. (Nowak, 1999)

• Key Behaviors
• arboreal arboreal
• nocturnal nocturnal
• motile motile
• sedentary sedentary
• solitary solitary
• territorial territorial

Communication and Perception

Communication in this species has not been well described. Vocalizations are recorded. In addition, the visual signal of a female positioning herself for copulation is important in breeding. Presumably, as in other prosimians, there is scent marking of territories. Tactile communication is important between mother and offspring, as well as between mates.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Golden pottos are primarily insectivorous, eating mainly insects that are rejected by other insectivores. Caterpillars are among the most common insects consumed by A. calabarensis . Other insects consumed include beetles, ants, moths and crickets. Before eating a caterpillar, golden pottos will rub the caterpillar in their hands to remove any hair the caterpillar may have. This prevents irritation from defensive hairs on the caterpillars. Golden pottos will also eat fruit and gums.

This species tends to forage alone within the lower canopy or on the ground within the undergrowth. Although golden pottos generally move slowly, they have been observed quickly rearing on their back legs in order to snatch moths from the air.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore

• Animal Foods
• insects

• Plant Foods
• fruit
• sap or other plant fluids

Predation

Details on predation of these pottos are not available, although they presumably fall victim to small carnivores, and the standard nocturnal predators of equatorial Africa. Arctocebus calabarensis is known to roll up into a ball when threatened, keeping the face under the armpit. If attacked, golden pottos will bite the predator on the snout, not letting go. Infants cling to the mother if she appears alarmed. Newborns are born with eyes open and can cling to their mothers' fur or to tree branches. In order to avoid birds of prey, these primates rarely climb higher than 15 m. (Charles-Donimique, 1977)

Ecosystem Roles

Golden pottos help to disperse seeds of the fruit they have eaten by defecation (Nowak, 1999).

• Ecosystem Impact
• disperses seeds

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Golden pottos are hunted for their meat by humans (Kingdon, 1997).

• Positive Impacts
• food food

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

This species has not been reported to have adverse effects on humans.

Conservation Status

Arctocebus calabarensis is a CITES Appendix II species, which means there are restrictions and guidelines pertaining to the trade and exploitation of this species. This species also faces habitat destruction as the rainforests are cut down for timber and to open up farmland. Although these pottos are adapted to secondary vegetation, they are unable to disperse across unforested areas. (Kingdon,1997)

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Taryn Olson (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Chris Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

References

Charles-Donimique, P. 1977. Ecology and Feeding Behaviour of five sympatric Lorisids in Gabon . Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals . San Diego and London: Academic Press.

Klopfer, P., D. Gubernick. 1981. Parental Care in Mammals . New York: Plenum Press.

Nowak, R. 1999. Walkers Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition . Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Tomasello, M. 1997. Primate Cognition . New York: Oxford University.

Wilson, D., D. Reeder. 1993. Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference . Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.