Tarsier – The Wonder Creature of Philippines

Philippine Tarsier / Photo from when milko shoots

The tarsier or Tarsius syrichta is almost the smallest primates in the world and you will find them only in the Philippines. Their wide round eyes and cute snobby nose make them adorable to look at while their cuddly small size can contain them in the palm of your hand! If you ever visit the Philippines, you will find this spooky little creature darting at nights in the islands of Bohol, Samar, Mindanao and Leyte. This minute monkey-like creature feeds on insects that it often extracts from burnt wood or charcoal.

The Survival of The Weakest / Photo from nicointhebus (nicolas monnot)

The tarsier species is believed to be 45 million years old. Biologists J. Petiver was the first to mention it in his descriptions. However, unlike popular assumption, tarsiers are not really the smallest monkey though it may bear specifications similar to primate species like lorises, lemurs and bushbabies. It differs in its taxonomic configuration from apes in general although you will find some features similar to anthropoids. Other species similar to that of the Philippine tarsier are found Borneo, Sumatra, Indonesia and Madagascar with variations in shape and size.

Sleepy tarsier / Photo from naatiu

A small Tarsier skull. / Photo from mikel_duke

The Philippine tarsier is a highly active species and is interesting with its peculiar features. Though its body is covered with grey fur, its long 232 mm tail is nearly bare. From head to tail, it measures 118-149 mm and weighs 113-142 grams. What is very striking about a Philippine tarsier is its bulging eyes that seem uniquely out of place against its small body size. The eye sockets surpass the size of the brain case and the stomach of the tarsier.

Big eyes / Photo from cindymarco

Tarsiers Sanctuary, Bohol / Photo from armandorama

Its hands and legs have fingers similar to human limbs that they use to clutch their perch and balance their body with the tail. You can at once detect the elongated middle finger of a tarsier and its very long anklebones that work as a shock absorber. This helps the tarsier to carry out its frog like leap from branches to branches with ease. The head of a tarsier is quite similar to that of an owl because of its shape and the special joint amidst the sine and skull base for rotating its head in 180-degrees arc. Tarsiers have unusually sharp teeth to facilitate preying on insects during their nocturnal ventures.

Protect the Endangered Philippine Tarsier / Photo from jaeWALK

Tarsiers prefer to live on trees holes and roots of bamboo plants although you may find exceptions to these. Since the greater part of the tarsier activities is confined to nights, you can scarcely see them during daytime. The males and females of this species are found to live in groups, with the females taking care of the younger tarsiers. They emit a range of vocal sounds at various circumstances like challenge, breeding period, group assemblies etc. The epigastric glands of the male tarsiers facilitate scent marking while you may find them making meaningful facial gestures as well.

Tarsiers!!! / Photo from Edwin Rodriguez / Vancouver, BC

Photo Ronals “Roro” S. Fernandez

Tarsiers achieve sexual maturity when they become two years of age. The female undergoes a recurrent period of heat that lasts around 23 days and emits a special sound to communicate about her fertility. The pregnancy period of an average female tarsier lasts up to six months while the average life span of a healthy tarsier can extend from 12-20 years. The birth and growth of baby tarsiers is an amazingly fast-paced process and they are weaned after 60 days and move by themselves within 19 days of their birth.

hey, it’s Gizmo! / Photo from mela sogono

This wonderful species of Philippine tarsier is now facing threats of extinction due to the diminishing of its natural forest habitat. Years of slash-and-burn agriculture and illegal felling of trees are largely to be blamed for the current plight of tarsiers. Added to that is of course the cruel practice of killing and selling stuffed tarsiers to tourists. Now it has been declared a protected species but if the Philippine government does not take adequate measures to increase their numbers, you may not see tarsier any more in near future.

Almost the world’s smallest primates or so the tourist guides tell you. And they’re not monkeys. / Photo from kiwikeith

Baby Yoda sleeping / Photo from ^CzarLopez^