Trivia question for May-23-2011

Olivia likes these cute little guys and says she wants to hold one someday.  These guys have exceptional grasping abilities: capable of holding on to branches for extended periods.

These mammals inhabit the canopy of rain forests in tropical Africa, from Guinea to Kenya and Uganda into the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are nocturnal and arboreal, sleeping during the day in the leaves.  Studies of stomach contents have shown that their diet consists of about 65% fruit, 21% tree gums and 10% insects. They have also occasionally been known to catch bats and small birds. Their strong jaws enable them to eat fruits and lumps of dried gum that are too tough for other tree-dwellers. The insects they eat tend to have a strong smell, possibly because more palatable insects are snatched up by faster-moving creatures.

So here are Olivia’s questions: We already learned about their gripping ability but can you tell us how long one of these guys remained affixed to branches while in captivity without ever descending to the floor?  Also, tell us what this animal is and how they are able to grasp branches for so long without their muscles fatiguing?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Carmen for being the first with the correct answer.  She was correct in identifying these cute little guys.  We featured the Potto.  The potto is a primate. The name “Potto” possibly comes from the African word “pata”, which means tailless ape. The Potto is also known as Bosman’s potto, after its supposed discoverer, and in some English-speaking parts of Africa it is called a softly-softly.

Reportedly, one of these strong guys stayed firmly gripped to branches while in captivity for over two years without ever descending to the ground.  They are able to maintain a firm grip without their muscles becoming fatigued because they are aided by blood channels that facilitate and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the muscles of the hands and feet.  This keeps carbon dioxide from building up, which is what causes fatigue.  Here is more on on these little guys: Potto

Thanks for playing along 😉