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Tarsier


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Tarsier
Tarsier
Tarsier
Tarsier
Tarsier
The tarsier is a small primate was once found in Asia, Europe, and North America, and possibly Africa. Today the tarsier is only found on several Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Sumatra.

Tarsiers are small animals with enormous eyes with each eyeball of the tarsier measuring approximately 16 mm in diameter which is as large as their entire brain. Tarsiers also have very long hind limbs and the feet of the tarsier have extremely elongated tarsus bones, from which the animals get their name.

The head and body of the tarsier range from 10 to 15 cm in length, but the hind limbs are about twice this long (including the feet). The tarsier also has a slender tail from 20 to 25 cm long. The fingers of the tarsier are also elongated, with the third finger being about the same length as the upper arm (in a similar way to the Aye Aye found in Madagascar). Most of the digits have nails, but the second and third toes of the hind feet bare claws instead, which are used for grooming.

Tarsiers have very soft, velvety fur, which is generally brown or beige in colour. The elongated fingers of the tarsier are a dark brown colour and almost twig like in appearance.

The tarsier is a nocturnal animal but can be seen to be active during the day. The tarsier primarily feeds on insects but tarsiers will also eat small animals such as rodents, reptiles and birds. Tarsiers catch their prey by jumping on them and tarsiers are very adept at leaping from tree to tree. Tarsiers have even been known to catch birds that are in motion!

The gestation period of the female tarsier takes roughly six months, and the female tarsier will then give birth to a single tarsier baby. The baby tarsiers are born with fur and with their eyes open. The young tarsiers are able to climb within a day of birth and reach sexual maturity when they are about 2 years old.

The social habits of the tarsier appear to be dependent on where they live. Tarsiers in some place stick together in groups while tarsiers in other place prefer to both rest and hunt alone. Tarsiers in the wild live until they are about 12 years old, but those tarsiers that are in captivity lead much shorter lives as they die young because they are unhappy.

Remarkably, the tarsier is able to turn its head nearly 360 degrees meaning that, coupled with the large eyes of the tarsier, the tarsier able to spot any oncoming predators with ease.

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Tarsier Comments (22)

carolleng

"I think more people ,who really love animals should adopt and care for tarsiers.Their lives would be full with the right individuals.It takes people to protect a species."

ranyis

"great animal"

gillian curry

"great facts! i love animals so it was enteresting! "

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Tarsier Facts

Kingdom:
A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....
Animalia
Phylum:
A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....
Chordata
Class:
A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....
Mammalia
Order:
A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....
Primates
Family:
A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....
Tarsiidae
Genus:
A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....
Tarsius
Scientific Name:Lemur Tarsier
Type:Mammal
Diet:Omnivore
Size:10-15cm (3.9-5.9in)
Weight:120-170g (4.2-6oz)
Top Speed:40km/h (24mph)
Life Span:8-12 years
Lifestyle:Group
Conservation Status:
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...
Endangered
Colour:Brown, Grey, Beige
Skin Type:Fur
Favourite Food:Insects
Habitat:
The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...
Tropical lowland and coastal forests
Average Litter Size:1
Main Prey:
When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....
Insects, Small reptiles, Birds
Predators:
When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...
Cats, Snakes, Monitor Lizards
Special Features:Large eyes and long tail

Related Animals

Aye Aye Aye Aye
Long, thin middle finger!
LemurLemur
Natively found on the island of Madagascar!

 

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