In some places, the potto specialises in eating caterpillars with irritating hairs, foul-smelling beetles, poisonous millipedes, slugs and snails. The potto finds them by smell. Pottos usually try to rub off as many of the irritating hairs before eating the caterpillar. They also eat large quantities of toxic ants, lapping them up with their tongue. Pottos only eat such noxious prey because tastier prey are snapped up by faster hunters.
Pottos prefer to eat less unpleasant food.
They can kill and eat small or young birds and bats. Pottos move very slowly, but when they are close enough to an insect or other prey item they can snatch it very quickly with either their hands or their mouths. Unlike the Angwantibo, the Potto forage on the upper canopy, usually between 5-30m. One young, rarely twins. Gestation 170 days.