Animal of the Week: Tarsier
Welcome back to the second article of our series! Today, we will be talking about the both creepy and cute Tarsier. This animal is a bizarre-looking creature, and holds the record for the smallest primate. One of the strangest things about these creatures are their eyes. Each eye is as big as its brain. In fact, they’re so big they aren’t able to rotate them in their sockets.
A large number of the Tarsier’s features are specialized. They’re able to swivel their head around a full 180 degrees. This feature helps them to look for prey easily. Tarsiers have extraordinary senses, which can benefit them in many ways. Their wide eyes allow them to keep an eye out for predators and prey in the dark, and they have sizable ears that let them hear amazingly well. These senses enable them to survive in their environment. Tarsiers are experts at climbing due to their specially designed nails. They are also skilled at springing large distances, since their lengthy hind legs are designed to launch them into the air.
Tarsiers are the only fully carnivorous primates, which means that their diet is full of meat. They eat insects, frogs, lizards, and even small birds. Some Tarsiers even prey on bats and poisonous snakes. Tarsiers don’t explore in search of food. Tarsiers hunt by using their senses to locate prey and then pounce on the unsuspecting foe. They then trap the prey with their dexterous fingers before holding them still while they enjoy a well deserved meal. Tarsiers are so well adapted, that they can even catch prey mid-air.
Tarsiers’ habitats are usually located in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. But Tarsiers are now restricted to only areas in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Southern Philippines. They live in island forests, where the vegetation is plentiful. Based on their location, Tarsiers are separated into three groups, the Western, Eastern, and Philippine Tarsiers. Western Tarsiers are found living in “lowland primary forests” and “low mountain forests” on many different islands. Eastern Tarsiers on the other hand, are found living in Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia, but they adjust well with different levels of forests. Philippine Tarsiers are located in a variety of islands in the Philippines.
Each group of Tarsiers act differently, based on their social life. Western Tarsiers aren’t very social, so they only communicate while mating. I guess they like giving each other the silent treatment! Eastern Tarsiers however are the most talkative. They love gathering around in groups to hang out. Real party animals!
As for the Tarsier’s life cycle, it all starts with their birth. Unlike some animals, the female Tarsiers give birth to only one baby. They are born with a complete fur coat, and strangely enough, they are also born with their eyes open. Surprisingly, baby Tarsiers can climb extremely well, even when they are only a day old. They must’ve made those first hours count! The mother feeds her young for two months until they are old enough to start eating an adult diet. Some Tarsiers are able to hunt by themselves, even when they are younger than a month old. As we humans like to say, they were born ready! The mother carries her young by holding them with her mouth, or with them hanging on to her back. When the young Tarsiers are old enough to hunt by themselves, they leave their family and find their own territory, or home, to live in. Western and Eastern Tarsiers can live up to 12 to 15 years, while Philippine Tarsiers can live an amazingly long time, up to 20 years!
Tarsiers have many threats. Their predators include cats, birds, and snakes. Tarsiers can jump to safely retreat from them, as they can sense them nearby. Unfortunately, these little guys are also an endangered species. Some of their threats include humans cutting down their habitats for agricultural purposes. They are also caught by people for trade, but they often die since they are not able to find food from their natural habitat.
Tarsiers are strange animals, but as you read in this article, they are also fascinating to learn. Hope you have enjoyed the second article of our series. See you next week!
Reanna Lee ‘23 ;)
Zoe Weirauch ‘23 :D
