Updated
The potto is a slow-moving nocturnal primate about the size of a small cat, with thick woolly fur, tiny ears, a stubby tail and an extremely strong grip. It lives in the canopy of Uganda’s forests, including Kibale, Bwindi and Budongo, and is most often seen on guided night walks. Unlike bushbabies, it never jumps; it creeps hand over hand along branches.
Habits
Pottos eat fruit, tree gum and insects, including ants and caterpillars that other animals avoid. They move slowly and quietly to avoid notice, and can stay motionless for hours. Bony projections from the spine at the back of the neck, covered by thick skin, form a shield that the potto turns towards a predator, gripping the branch tightly so it cannot easily be pulled off.
Pottos in Uganda
Pottos live in most of Uganda’s moist forests. They are not rare, but they are hard to see because they are active only at night and often high up. Guides on night walks look for their orange eyeshine. Their main predators are thought to include civets, eagles and snakes, though there are few observations.
Where to see it
The Kibale night walk from Kanyanchu is the best chance, and some lodges near Bwindi offer guided night walks. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to Kibale Forest, the lesser bushbaby, Kibale animals and night safari animals.
Frequently asked questions
On night walks in Kibale and around Bwindi.
No. It is a prosimian, related to lorises and bushbabies.
Fruit, tree gum and insects.
With a bony neck shield and a very strong grip on the branch.
