Are tarsiers cute or creepy?
- Tarsiers are said to be native to Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, although they can only now be found in the islands of Southeast Asia, including areas of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
- Tarsiers are a family of nocturnal primates, with the family name Tarsiidae, that includes 18 species of the mammal.
- Tarsiers measure approximately 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) in length, excluding their long 20 to 25 centimetre (7.9 to 9.8 inch) tail.
- Tarsiers’ fur is soft, with a velvet texture, and is coloured brown, ochre, gold and grey.
- A tarsier has distinctly large eyes, around 1.6 centimetres (0.6 inches) in diameter, roughly the size, although heavier than its brain.
Tarsier
Image courtesy of yeowatzup/Flickr
- Tarsiers have five long fingers or toes on each hand and foot, with two claws replacing toenails on each foot.
- Tarsiers are the only primates alive to have a diet that consists of no vegetation, and they instead rely on insects, reptiles, birds and bats as their food.
- Tarsiers live in forest habitats, scrubland and mangroves, and they have excellent hearing.
- Tarsiers usually have one baby at a time and their lifespan typically ranges from 12 to 20 years.
- Despite their small size, some tarsiers can jump up to four metres (13 feet) or more in one leap, due to their long anklebones.
Bibliography:
Tarsier, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/tarsier/
Tarsier, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarsier
Gotta love tarsiers, gotta love sloths. Primates are so interesting!!