Seasonal Body Weight Changes in Pygmy Lorises (Nycticebus pygmaeus).
Verh.ber. Erkrg. Zootiere 42: 292-298
Summary:
Obesity has often been considered a main health problem of captive pygmy lorises. In fact changes in bodyweight might not always be pathological but an important aspect of the animals’ physiology. Kept under natural light ing and climatic conditions, pygmy lorises show distinct weight changes independent from the food supply. These changes are correlated to the season and pygmy lorises have significantly higher bodyweights in the winter than in the summer months.
Peak bodyweight values in winter are more than 50 % higher than the lowest values in summer.
The variation in bodyweight occurs in both sexes and equally in pregnant and non-pregnant females. Food sources are scarce during the winter season and pygmy lorises seemingly increase their daily food intake in order to accumulate fat reserves prior to the time of food shortage. For pygmy lorises, energy storage appear s to be an important means to allow survival during the winter months.
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