Scientific Name:

Tarsius bancanus, Tarsius dianae, Tarsius pumilus, Tarsius syrichta, Tarsius spectrum

Comon Name:

Bornean Tarsier, Horsfield's Tarsier (T. bancanus)

DianŐs Tarsier (T. dianae)

Pygmy Tarsier (T. pumilus)

Philippine Tarsier (T. syrichta)

Spectral, Celebesian, or Eastern Tarsier (T. spectrum)

Physical Descriptors:

Tarsiers are probably the most advanced group of prosimians in relation to the higher primates. They are quite small, rat sized primates that rarely exceed half a pound in weight. The name ŇtarsierÓ is derived from these bones. The tibia and fibula of the Tarsiers are fused in their lower portions, acting as a shock absorber. Considered a primitive trait normally seen in quadruped. Lower limbs are twice the length of its trunk. ItŐs movements are similar to that of a frog. The Tarsier also has a very long tail, generally naked except for hair tufting at its end. The underside has dermal ridges like those found on human hands and feet. Its tail is used for balancing like a tripod, and they prefer an erect posture at all times.

Like the aye-aye and the galago, the tarsier depends greatly upon vision than a good sense of smell. The eyes are enormous. In volume the capacity of the bony eye orbits (sockets) exceeds that of its brain case, and larger than its stomach. Only the tarsier has a postorbital plate behind each eye. This feature keeps the eyeballs from being pressed against by the powerful temporal muscles to their sides.

Like and owl, the tarsier has a joint between its skull base and spine to allow head movement of an 180 degree arc. Its upper lip lacks a cleft yet it has masculature enabling it to make faces. It also lacks dental comb, but is aberrant in lacking one set of lower incisor teeth 2.1.3.3. 1.1.3.3.1

The tarsiers hands have pads like suction cups on the ends of the digits, enabling it to move up vertical surfaces easily, even glass. They have two toilet claws (second and third toes.) It is used to clean fur and skin of dirt and ectoparasites.

Geography:

T. syrichta - Mindanao, Philippines

T. spectrum - Sulawesi lowlands, Indonesia

T. pumilus - S. Sulawesi, Indonesia

T. dianae - C. Sulawesi, Indonesia

T. bancanus - S. Natuna Islands, Indonesia

Tarsiers live in the forest of Southeast Asia where they feed on insects and small vertebrates.  They hunt their prey at night, using their well developed senses of sight and hearing. The three species of tarsier live in separate areas of the islands of Southern Asia. Tarsiers sleep during the day, clinging to trees in their forest habitat.  They get up at twilight and spend the night searching for food, leaping from tree to tree with great speed and agility.

Facts and Knowledge:

Habits:  There are three distinct species of tarsier, all similar in size: the western tarsier, the spectral tarsier, and the Philippine tarsier.  The first two species have been studied in the wild.  A tarsier leaps quickly from tree to tree on its long  hind legs, which are about twice the length of its head and body.  Each hand and foot has five long, slender fingers or toes. All the digits have nails except the second and third toes, which have claws that ae used for grooming.  On the underside of each digit there is a bulbous swelling a with a ridged gripping surface that enables the tarsier to cling to supports.  A tarsier has huge eyes with large pupils for better night vision.  Although each eye is almost immobile in its socket, a tarsier can look over each shoulder by rotating its head 180 degrees to the left or 19 degrees to the right.  At night tarsiers, move about in the trees, staying about three feet above ground level.  They wake just before sunset, rest for a while, and then search for food.  They sleep again  around sunrise.

Breeding: The adult western tarsier usually lives with it mate and an infant, which leaves to find its own territory before the next young is born.. A tarsier marks the trees in its territory with urine and by rubbing its scent glands against the bark.  In courtship, the animals chase each other and then mate in the trees.  About six months later one fur covered young is born with its eyes open.  It an climb but is totally dependent on its mother's milk.  Although she leaves it when hunting, the young keeps in contact with soft clicking sounds or whistles.  After a week the offspring can eat solid food.  By three months it jumps well and can catch food, but it still drinks its mothers milk.

Food & Hunting: The Philippine and spectral tarsiers mainly eat insects, including gnats, mosquitoes, dragonflies, moths, termites, locusts, and grasshoppers.  Tarsiers have not been seen eating fruit in the wild, but a Philippine tarsier ate bananas when fed b a researcher.  The western tarsier eats insects and also lizards, bats, and snakes.  It even kills and eats birds larger than itself.  A tarsier can catch a bird in flight by leaping on it and grabbing it with both hands.  It kills the bird by biting it neck with its large sharp teeth before eating it.  Tarsier se their excellent hearing to locate prey. If the victim is small, a tarsier jumps to the ground and grabs it with a hand.  If the prey is large, a tarsier kills it before carrying it back to ta tree to be eaten.  Tarsiers drink regularly.  They get water from pools ad streams, sometimes sitting in shallow water while  drinking.  They also lick rainwater fro leaves and tree trunks.
Key Facts:Sizes, Weight, breeding, lifestyle, related Species
Length: Head and body, 3 to 6 in, tail 5 to 11 inches
Weight: 3 to 6 oz.

Breeding:
Sexual Maturity: About 1 year
Mating: Can be any time of the year, but western tarsier births are usually February to April.
Gestation: About 6 months
Litter Size: Usually 1

Lifestyle:
Habit: Live mostly in paris or small family groups.
Diet:  Wide range on insects, small birds, bats, lizards, and snakes.
Call: Whistles and soft twittering. Young make clicking sounds or whistle to contact mother.
Life span: Average 12 years.

Related Species: Tarsiers are related to other primates such as lemurs, lorises, and bush babies
Distribution: The Tarsiers inhabit the islands of Southern Asia.  the Philippine tarsier can be found in the southern Philippines, the western tarsier in Borneo, southern Sumatra, and Bangka, and the spectral tarsier in Celebes and Peleng.
Conservation: All tarsiers have suffered from loss of habitat.  the Philippine tarsier is an endangered species

Features of Tarsiers:
All 3 species of tarsier are active at twilight and night.  Their hearing and sight are exceptional.
Eyes:  Huge ad forward facing.  Move vary little in their orbits (sockets).  Very large pupils let in light or good night vision.
Ears:  Large and funnel like.  Tarsiers hunt at night.  Locating prey with their excellent hearing.
Gripping Hands and Feet:
Feet: Boney, elongated toes with nails.  The second and third toes have claws used for grooming. Hands have nails but no claws.
Fingers and toes: Underside of each finger and toe has a ridged swelling.  Grooved texture grips like a tires thread, enabling tarsiers to hold on to surface.

Did you know?
A tarsier often makes contact by seizing its mate's tail.  The Philippine and spectral tarsier may sit with their tails intertwined.
Although they live in areas where snakes are common, tarsiers are rarely killed by them.  A snake detects prey by sensing body  heat, and it is thought that a tarsier decreases its body temperature while sleeping when it would be most at risk.
Tarsiers sometimes catch venomous snakes.
A tarsier may rub its face on branches to clean itself.