Potto
genus of mammals
The pottos are three species of strepsirrhine primate in the genus Perodicticus of the family Lorisidae. In some English-speaking parts of Africa, they are called "softly-softlys".
Etymology
The common name "potto" may be from Wolof pata (a tailless monkey).
The generic name Perodicticus is composed of Greek πηρός (pērós, 'maimed') and δεικτικός (deiktikós, "able to show/indicate", cf. δείκτης, deíktēs, 'index finger'). It refers to the stubby index finger that seems mutilated.
Taxonomy
There are three species recognized by the IUCN Red List and American Society of Mammalogists:
Formerly, all species were classified under one species, P. potto. However, variation among pottos is significant, prompting speculation that there may be more than one species. A 2015 study confirmed there to be three distinct potto species with deep genetic divergence dating to the Miocene for all three species.
A few closely related species also have "potto" in their names: the two golden potto species (also known as angwantibos) and the false potto.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Potto” is genus of mammals. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Potto, genus and mammals, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “genus of mammals” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q19816393. The first chronological checks are 2015.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Potto” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.