The potto is a squirrel-sized nocturnal lemur, reddish-brown, with huge staring eyes. They are native to West Africa.

The genus name for pottos is Perodicticus, which refers to their short index finger.

They have an amazingly strong grip for their size, and live in trees. Like the slow loris, its close cousin, the potto can stay motionless for hours, and then in slow motion, sneak up on its rodent or insect prey. Pottos also eat fruit and other vegetation.

The female potto, normally a solitary creature, signals her availability to mate by hanging upside-down.