False potto

The False Potto ( Pseudopotto martini ) is a controversial primate species from the family of Loris ( Lorisidae ). He was described in the 1990s, based on museum specimens, it is unclear whether it is in fact a separate species or a variant of pottos. The scientific species name honors the primatologist Robert Denis Martin ( b. 1942 ).

Incorrect pottos resemble the pottos, but are slightly smaller. Her tail is relatively long, other differences are in the structure of the skull and teeth. Thus, the snout is relatively wide, extended the front upper premolar and the rearmost molar regressed.

The species was described in 1996 by Jeffrey H. Schwartz based on two specimens which are preserved in the Anthropological Institute of the University of Zurich. One is a female, which was caught in Cameroon and later lived in the Zurich Zoo. From the other copy, half adult males, only the head is obtained, this animal comes from "Equatorial Africa ". Due to this sparse information no safe conclusions about the distribution area are possible. Also on the way of life nothing is known.

The results of Schwartz ' are controversial. Some researchers such as E. Sarmiento and S. Bearder keep the differences to Potto too low to justify the status of a separate species. Also, the IUCN does not recognize the falsity of Potto as a separate species.