[3] The generic name Perodicticus is composed of Greek πηρός (pērós, ‘maimed’) and δεικτικός (deiktikós, "able to show/indicate", cf.

Like other strepsirrhines the potto has a moist nose, toothcomb, and a toilet claw on the second toe of the hind legs.

[20] The neck has four to six low tubercles or growths that cover its elongated vertebrae which have sharp points and nearly pierce the skin; these are used as defensive weapons.

[19] Pottos inhabit the canopy of rain forests in tropical Africa: from Nigeria, Guinea to Kenya and Uganda into the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[21] Studies of stomach contents have shown the potto diet consists of about 65% fruit, 21% tree gums and 10% insects.

[22] Their strong jaws enable it to eat fruits and lumps of dried gum that are too tough for other tree-dwellers.

[19][24] After a gestation period of about 193–205 days, the female gives birth, typically to a single young, but twins are known to occur.

[19] Pottos have relatively few predators, because large mammalian carnivores cannot climb to the treetops where they live, and the birds of prey in this part of Africa are diurnal.

[19] If threatened, the potto will hide its face and neck-butt its opponent, making use of its unusual vertebrae.

[28] Ursula Cowgill, a biologist at Yale University who looked after six captive pottos for several decades, noticed they appeared to form altruistic relationships.

The captive pottos were seen to spend time with a sick companion and to save food for an absent one.