Facts about Tarsiers
- 09
Isolated on Philippine islands for millions of years, tarsiers diverged into at least three distinct species that cannot interbreed, making them a critical case study in primate speciation and island biogeography.
- 08
Throughout their lifespan of approximately 12 to 14 years in captivity, tarsiers form monogamous pair bonds and engage in biparental care, with both parents actively raising their single annual offspring.
- 07
Tarsiers produce specialized scent-marking secretions from glands on their chest and throat to establish territory and communicate with potential mates throughout their Southeast Asian forest ranges.
- 06
Nocturnal hunting makes tarsiers dependent on insects and small vertebrates, with their diet consisting of approximately 90 percent arthropods caught through rapid ambush predation.
- 05
A tarsier's ankle bones, or tarsals, are elongated to roughly twice the length of its foot bones, giving these primates their name and providing the leverage needed for powerful leaping up to 40 times their body length.
- 04
Tarsier vocalizations include ultrasonic calls up to 91 kilohertz, frequencies inaudible to human ears that help them communicate across dense forest vegetation.
- 03
Weighing only 80 to 160 grams, tarsiers are among the smallest primates on Earth, with their tiny size allowing them to navigate dense Philippine and Southeast Asian forest canopies.
- 02
Tarsiers possess the ability to rotate their heads 180 degrees in either direction, allowing them to scan their forest environment without repositioning their bodies.
- 01
Eyes comprising 16 percent of a tarsier's brain weight allow these primates to see in near-total darkness without moving their heads.