Hand‐rearing a Potto Perodicticus potto at Franklin Park Zoo, Boston

Abstract

In August 2001 a Potto Perodicticus potto was born in the Tropical Forest building of Franklin Park Zoo, Boston. The neonate was removed the following day for hand‐rearing because its mother, which had a history of providing poor infant care, appeared to be neglecting it. Historically, Pottos in captivity have high rates of neonatal mortality that are frequently associated with maternal neglect. This paper gives detailed information about the methods used to hand‐rear this infant successfully. Notes on infant development are presented and the health issues encountered, and medical treatments given, during the first few months are described.

Comparative Ecology and Behaviour of Eastern Potto Perodicticus ibeanus and Central Potto P. Edwardsi in Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda

“…Although pottos are considered relatively silent (Oates, 1984;Bearder et al, 2003;Nekaris et al, 2007;Pimley & Bearder, 2013), we observed audible vocal behaviour in P. ibeanus. Although pottos vocalise in captivity (Cowgill, 1969;Buckanoff et al, 2006), we found no equivalent in the literature of the 'Whistle'. Slender lorises emit a variety of whistles, while slow lorises make series of 'Kriks', 'Pants', and high-pitched 'Whistles' (Nekaris & Bearder, 2011).…”

“…Nearly all data on adult-infant interactions in pottos comes from captive individuals (Cowgill, 1969(Cowgill, , 1974Manley, 1974;Frederick, 1998;Buckanoff et al, 2006). Pottos are difficult to breed in captivity, and infant mortality is high (Fitch-Snyder & Schulze, 2001;Buckanoff et al, 2006;Fuller et al, 2014;MacKinnon et al, 2015). As of 2018, all pottos in captivity are listed as 'Perodicticus potto sensu lato'.…”

Hand‐raising a spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) at the Ueno Zoological Gardens

“…The vitamin supplement was used for hand-raising of other prosimian species. Polyvisol was also used for potto (Perodicticus potto) [Buckanoff et al, 2006], and Polyvite which is also a vitamin supplement was for lesser slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) [Sodaro, 1993]. However, we used a chicken liver homogenate as the only nutritional supplement.…”

Behaviour of Pottos and Angwantibos

“…When older, the infant angwantibos begin to cling to the mother's fur dorsally (Ambrose, 2013;Charles-Dominique, 1977a;Jewell and Oates, 1969a;Kingdon, 2015). In captivity, female pottos have been observed to care for only healthy neonate pottos that are able to cling to a branch or to their mother after birth (Buckanoff et al, 2006). Juvenile A. calabarensis stay with their mother for some months after they have been weaned, and contact is maintained by high-pitched clicking calls (Kingdon, 2015).…”

“…In pottos, long-distance calls are likely too high-pitched to be audible to human ears, but a high-pitched whistling vocalisation has been reported in wild P. ibeanus in Kenya (Luhrs et al, 2018). Captive pottos have also been recorded to make these whistles, seemingly as a social spacing mechanism (Buckanoff et al, 2006;Cowgill, 1969;Nekaris, 2013). Epps (1974) reported six different vocalisation used in captive pottos, classified either as contact calls or used when the pottos displayed their defence postures.…”