This small, slender primate is distinguished by large forward-facing eyes used for precise depth perception, long slender limbs, a well-developed index finger, the absence of tail, and large prominent ears, which are thin, rounded and hairless at the edges.

The soft dense fur is reddish-brown color on the back, and the underside is whitish-grey with a sprinkling of silver hair.

Masmullah Proposed Forest Reserve harbors one of few remaining red slender loris populations, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot.

They are primarily insectivorous but also eat bird eggs, berries, leaves, buds and occasionally invertebrates as well as geckos and lizards.

They make nests out of leaves or find hollows of trees or a similar secure place to live in.

It is widely trapped and killed for use in supposed remedies for eye diseases and is preyed upon by snakes, dogs, and some fish.

[8] The red slender loris was identified as one of the top-10 "focal species" in 2007 by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) project.

[8] The late 2009 capture by a team working under the Zoological Society of London's EDGE programme has resulted in the first detailed physical examination of the Horton Plains sub-species and the first-ever photographs of it.

[11] The limited available evidence suggests there may be only about 100 animals still existing, which would make it among the top five most-threatened primates worldwide.