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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.