Connie Earnshaw, age 13, of Arcadia, Calif., for her questions

Is there an animal called the potto?

Yes, there is such an animal. He is a furry mammal, remotely related to the lemur and the lazy loris. The potto is a native of West Africa.    He is a tree dweller and rather lazy.

The potto has one remarkable feature. There is a row of bony spines down his furry back. When threatened, he bends his head between his front legs and attacks with the spines down his neck and back.