The
Bengal slow loris (
Nycticebus bengalensis) or
northern slow loris is a
strepsirrhine primate and a
species of
slow loris native to the
Indian subcontinent and
Indochina. Its geographic range is larger than that of any other slow loris species. Considered a
subspecies of the
Sunda slow loris (
N. coucang) until 2001,
phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Bengal slow loris is most closely related to the Sunda slow loris. However, some individuals in both species have
mitochondrial DNA sequences that resemble those of the other species, due to
introgressive hybridization. It is the largest species of slow loris, measuring from head to tail and weighing between . Like other slow lorises, it has a wet nose (
rhinarium), a round head, flat face, large eyes, small ears, a
vestigial tail, and dense, woolly fur. The toxin it secretes from its brachial gland (a
scent gland in its arm) differs chemically from that of other slow loris species and may be used to communicate information about sex, age, health, and social status.