Here’s
a group of weird looking animals for you; the
tarsiers. Native to the
rainforests on islands of Southeast Asia, they look like baby aliens!
Philippine tarsier (photo: Wikipedia files)
There
is still some debate as to exactly how many known species and subspecies of
tarsier there are. Endangered
Species International states that most recently the tarsier family, tarsiidae,
is divided up into three genera, which includes 18 species and subspecies of
tarsier. The most well-known is
the Philippine tarsier.
Tarsiers
are tree-dwellers and among the smallest primates in the world. For example, the Philippine tarsier
measures only about 3.35 to 6.3 inches in height and the Pygmy tarsier about 4
inches, not including the tail.
The length of their tail ranges from 8 to 10 inches long. Some species have sparsely furred tails
while others are more bushy-tailed like the Spectral tarsier. They all have very large eyes, large
ears, soft fur, and long hind legs.
The long legs enable them to leap
distances of up to 5 meters between tree branches.
Tarsiers
are nocturnal and their large eyes help them to see extremely well at
night. Their eyes are the largest
in relation to its body of any mammal.
Just one of their eyes is heavier than its brain, but around the same
size. Like owls, they cannot move
their eyes in their sockets and to compensate they can turn their heads almost
360 degrees around their body.
Their large ears are very sensitive to the tiniest sounds, or sign of
prey or predators. They have long
fingers with sticky pads on the end of each which helps them to climb and catch
prey.
Philippine tarsier showing long tail (photo: Wikipedia files)
Tarsiers
are the only primates that are strictly carnivorous, eating mostly insects, but
occasionally small birds, lizards, and bats. Unlike other primates, tarsiers do not move around in search
of prey. They sit and swivel their
heads around and watch and listen.
Once they spot a prey item, they leap and grab it in their hands.
A
few species of tarsiers are known to be monogamous. Mating can occur any time of the year. Just one baby is born after a 6-month
gestation period. They are born
with fur and eyes open and can cling to branches within one hour and can leap
within a month! They do not build
nests, but just place their young in a safe place nearby while hunting. The mother will also carry her baby
around in her mouth or on her back.
Philippine tarsier with baby (photo: the Wikipedia files)
Most
species of tarsiers are endangered or threatened, and some are labeled
critically endangered. Threats
include habitat loss, hunting, agricultural pollutants and human disturbance. They
are extremely shy animals that prefer to stay away from human contact.
Unfortunately
captive breeding programs have been quite unsuccessful. Tarsiers do not take well to living or
successfully breeding in captivity.
Wild tarsiers that are captured and held in captivity only show around a
50% rate of survival and in many cases they perish quickly of overstress by
committing “suicide”.
Conservation
efforts must focus on their wild habitats and populations. Legislation has been passed in the
Philippines to end the capture of the Philippine tarsier from the wild for the
pet trade and to help stop habitat destruction.
Submitted
by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist
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