Foraging patterns and dietary composition of Mysore slender lorises (Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus) in Keelaveliyur, a rural habitat of Tamil Nadu, India

We investigated the foraging behaviour and dietary composition of the Mysore slender loris ( Loris lydekkerianus lydekkerianus ) in Keelaveliyur, a rural landscape of Tamil Nadu, India, from January 2022 to December 2022. Using focal-animal instantaneous sampling at five-minute intervals, 38 individuals (21 males, 17 females) were observed for 2 813 hours. Altogether 33 756 instantaneous points were analysed. Foraging activity and prey-acquisition rates were compared between sexes and across canopy and branch strata. Males and females displayed statistically significant nocturnal differences in time allocation, with females investing more time in foraging and feeding. Both sexes foraged primarily on secondary and tertiary branches within the outer and middle canopy layers. The species consumed a wide range of animal and plant food: 41 insect species from 12 orders and 19 families, together with pods, fruits and gums from Prosopis juliflora , Moringa oleifera , Cajanus cajan and Syzygium cumini . Occasional predation on Calotes versicolor was also observed. These results show that the Mysore slender loris maintains a broad omnivorous diet and flexible foraging ecology even within a human-modified agricultural mosaic.