Calabar Angwantibo
Encyclopedia
The Calabar angwantibo (Arctocebus calabarensis), also known as the Calabar potto, is a strepsirrhine primate
from the Lorisidae
family. It shares the genus Arctocebus with the golden angwantibo
(Arctocebus aureus). It is closely related to the potto
(Perodicticus potto) and to the various loris
es.
The Calabar angwantibo lives in the rain forests of west Africa
, particularly in tree-fall zones. In areas where the forest has been cleared, it has been known to live on farmland. Its range covers Cameroon
, Nigeria
and Equatorial Guinea
. The species takes its name from the Nigerian city of Calabar
.
The Calabar angwantibo weighs between 266 and 465 grams. It has orangish-yellow fur on its back, grey or white fur on its belly, and a distinctive white line on its forehead and nose. Like other lorids, this angwantibo
has a very short index finger, which allows it to get a strong grip on tree branches. The second toe on each foot has a specialised claw that the angwantibo uses for grooming. The Calabar angwantibo is the only primate to have a nictitating membrane
(third eyelid).
The Calabar angwantibo is nocturnal and arboreal. It stays considerably lower in the trees than the other nocturnal prosimian
s in its range, and is typically found between 5 and 15 metres above ground. It moves by climbing very slowly through the trees, always grasping branches with at least three of its limbs at a time. During the day the angwantibo sleeps under dense foliage, hanging from a branch.
The Calabar angwantibo's diet consists mainly of insect
s, especially caterpillar
s, but it also eats some fruit
. It will eat strong-smelling insects that other animals reject. Before eating a caterpillar, the angwantibo wipes it carefully with its hands to remove any poisonous barbs.
When confronted by a predator, the Calabar angwantibo will roll up into a ball, but keep its mouth open beneath its armpit. If the attacker persists, the angwantibo will bite it and not let go.
Calabar angwantibos forage for food alone, but each male's territory overlaps that of several females. Angwantibos reinforce social bonds through mutual grooming and scent-marking. Mating takes place only in the final phase of the female's estrous cycle
, and is performed hanging upside-down from a branch. The female gives birth to a single infant after a gestation period of 131 to 136 days; the young are normally born between January and April. Infants are born with their eyes open and can cling to their mother's fur right away.
's Aubrey-Maturin novels. Stephen Maturin acquires a Calabar angwantibo on his travels and becomes 'absurdly attached' to it.
The search for an angwantibo is also a minor focus of Gerald Durrell
's first book, The Overloaded Ark
.
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
from the Lorisidae
Lorisidae
Lorisidae is a family of strepsirrhine primates. The lorisids are all slim arboreal animals and include the lorises, pottos and angwantibos. Lorisids live in tropical, central Africa as well as in south and southeast Asia....
family. It shares the genus Arctocebus with the golden angwantibo
Golden Angwantibo
The golden angwantibo is a strepsirrhine primate from the family Lorisidae. It shares the Arctocebus genus with the Calabar angwantibo and together they are commonly called the golden pottos. The golden...
(Arctocebus aureus). It is closely related to the potto
Potto
The potto is a strepsirrhine primate from the Lorisidae family. It is the only species in genus Perodicticus...
(Perodicticus potto) and to the various loris
Loris
Loris is the common name for the strepsirrhine primates of the subfamily Lorisinae in family Lorisidae. Loris is one genus in this subfamily and includes the slender lorises, while Nycticebus is the genus for the slow lorises....
es.
The Calabar angwantibo lives in the rain forests of west Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, particularly in tree-fall zones. In areas where the forest has been cleared, it has been known to live on farmland. Its range covers Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
. The species takes its name from the Nigerian city of Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
.
The Calabar angwantibo weighs between 266 and 465 grams. It has orangish-yellow fur on its back, grey or white fur on its belly, and a distinctive white line on its forehead and nose. Like other lorids, this angwantibo
Angwantibo
The angwantibos are the two species of strepsirrhine primates that are classified in the Arctocebus genus of the Lorisidae family. They are also known as golden pottos because of their yellow or golden coloration....
has a very short index finger, which allows it to get a strong grip on tree branches. The second toe on each foot has a specialised claw that the angwantibo uses for grooming. The Calabar angwantibo is the only primate to have a nictitating membrane
Nictitating membrane
The nictitating membrane is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye for protection and to moisten it while maintaining visibility. Some reptiles, birds, and sharks have a full nictitating membrane; in many mammals, there is a small...
(third eyelid).
The Calabar angwantibo is nocturnal and arboreal. It stays considerably lower in the trees than the other nocturnal prosimian
Prosimian
Prosimians are a grouping of mammals defined as being primates, but not monkeys or apes. They include, among others, lemurs, bushbabies, and tarsiers. They are considered to have characteristics that are more primitive than those of monkeys and apes. Prosimians are the only primates native to...
s in its range, and is typically found between 5 and 15 metres above ground. It moves by climbing very slowly through the trees, always grasping branches with at least three of its limbs at a time. During the day the angwantibo sleeps under dense foliage, hanging from a branch.
The Calabar angwantibo's diet consists mainly of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, especially caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s, but it also eats some fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
. It will eat strong-smelling insects that other animals reject. Before eating a caterpillar, the angwantibo wipes it carefully with its hands to remove any poisonous barbs.
When confronted by a predator, the Calabar angwantibo will roll up into a ball, but keep its mouth open beneath its armpit. If the attacker persists, the angwantibo will bite it and not let go.
Calabar angwantibos forage for food alone, but each male's territory overlaps that of several females. Angwantibos reinforce social bonds through mutual grooming and scent-marking. Mating takes place only in the final phase of the female's estrous cycle
Estrous cycle
The estrous cycle comprises the recurring physiologic changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian placental females. Estrous cycles start after puberty in sexually mature females and are interrupted by anestrous phases or pregnancies...
, and is performed hanging upside-down from a branch. The female gives birth to a single infant after a gestation period of 131 to 136 days; the young are normally born between January and April. Infants are born with their eyes open and can cling to their mother's fur right away.
In literature
The Calabar angwantibo, along with its close relative the potto, makes an appearance in Patrick O'BrianPatrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian, CBE , born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centred on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen...
's Aubrey-Maturin novels. Stephen Maturin acquires a Calabar angwantibo on his travels and becomes 'absurdly attached' to it.
The search for an angwantibo is also a minor focus of Gerald Durrell
Gerald Durrell
Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter...
's first book, The Overloaded Ark
The Overloaded Ark
The Overloaded Ark, first published in 1953, is the debut book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. It is the chronicle of a six months collecting trip to the West African colony of British Cameroon - now Cameroon - - that Durrell made with the highly regarded aviculturist and ornithologist John...
.
External links
- Calabar potto (Arctocebus calabarensis) at The Primata site