The Lake Superior Zoo announced the birth of two more Pygmy Slow Lorises, bringing the family’s total up to six.

Zookeeper Daniel Johnson says they came as surprise, as it’s difficult to spot them, “They are so small, they’re nocturnal, and they like to spend most of the days up in the rafters of the tight corners and the nooks and crannies.”

The babies were discovered by a zoo guest February 8th.

Mom Colby and Dad Giorgio welcomed set of twins, Gnocchi and Pesto, in March of 2022 too, meaning they’ve had four babies in the same year.

As for this go around, zoo staff say they will likely stick with the pasta theme for the babies’ names. Their genders are unknown at this time.

Johnson tells us it’s not unusual for these animals to have a second set, “As low as 50% of baby Pigmy Slow Lorises are born in a twin pairs.”

It’s remarkable achievement for the Lake Superior Zoo and their work with Species Survival Plan (SPS) among AZA accredited facilities. They aim to prevent these animals from going extinct by breeding them and eventually reintroducing them to the wild.

Duluth’s zoo has 6 of the 42 Pygmy Slow Lorises in accredited zoos across the country.

While the babies are about the size of your thumb– there’s still reason to be cautious, “They’re the only species of venomous primate in the world, and there’s only four or five species of venomous mammal, period.”

Their scent gland on their elbows. Johnson adds, “Because they move so slow and deliberately and so quietly, they have very few natural predators that can actually, successfully hunt them.”

The best time to view these animals is late morning and early afternoon. That’s when they’re the most active, as they’re nocturnal.