Tarsiers are one of the smallest primates in the world. People think that that they are monkeys but they aren’t. Tarsiers are primates like humans. Tarsiers are small; they are very tiny. Also, tarsiers have cute eyes that are big and look like they are popping out of their heads. Tarsiers are quite interesting to look at. Their small size is what makes them so attractive to people who want them as pets.

Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Aro... Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Around

Tarsiers are loving animals. However, they don’t respond well to being in captivity; they like to be free in their natural habits. As a result of this, they can harm their selves and become suicidal if captured or even locked up in a cage.

Philippine Tarsier

The Philippine tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world. They live in the southern parts of the Philippines. Philippine tarsiers are nocturnal animals. They are able to see, hear, and hunt very well in darkness without any issues. If they are in captivity, they aren’t going to live long. If a Philippine tarsier is healthy, it can live up to 24 years.

Philippine Tarsier’s Appearance

Philippine tarsiers have large eyes that are fixed inside of their skulls. Interestingly, they can’t move their eyes. However, they can rotate their eyes 180 degrees in either direction. It is also easy for them to search for foods due to the fact that they are nocturnal. The fur of a Philippine tarsier is soft and also short. The color of the fur of a Philippine tarsier can be brown, reddish, or even grey. Its fingers and toes are long. Ears are large and soft and resemble the ear of a bat.

What Do Philippine Tarsiers Eat?

Philippine tarsiers are considered to be insectivores; they like to eat insects like grasshoppers, crickets, and spiders. Sometimes they might eat birds, lizards, and also crustaceans. Interestingly, the Philippine tarsier likes to hunt a night, jumping from tree to tree hunting insects. They can jump up to 15 feet.

Daily Life & Communication of A Philippine Tarsier

Philippine tarsiers are known to be solitary animals. Sometimes they are seen together in small groups. They are also shy and rarely come in contact with humans due to the way that they live and hunt for food. Philippine tarsiers communicate with loud calls, a whistle, trill, chirp, cheep, and a Twitter. These primates are also able to communicate via smell. The gestation period of a Philippine tarsier lasts about 6 months. Only one offspring is produced during each gestation period. When an infant is born, it already has fur and eyes that are opened.

Pygmy Tarsier

The pygmy tarsier is arguably the smallest primate in the world. In fact, it is as small as a mouse. At one point they were said to be extinct but they were discovered again in the earlier 2000s. Pygmy tarsiers live in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is on the decline due to the fact that they are being hunted by humans. Pygmy tarsier weighs less than 2 oz. Their life span is not exactly known. However, scientists say that they are expected to live between 12 and 20 years.

The Appearance of A Pygmy Tarsier

Their fur is very soft and is a lot thicker than the majority of tarsier species. A pygmy tarsier’s tail is also long and scaly. Their eyes are huge, which gives them improved vision during the night. These primates have sharp vision. They can easily wiggle their eyes and they have elongated ankles, hind limbs that are short, and also short forelimbs.

What Do Pygmy Tarsiers Eat?

Pygmy tarsiers are carnivores; they mainly eat insects and arthropods. They are also said to have a high metabolism. Pygmy tarsiers are able to burn calories fast. As a result of this, they will eat foods with high calories.

Daily Life of A Pygmy Tarsier

Pygmy tarsiers are nocturnal primates; they are a lot more active at night than during the day. They aren’t known to build nests, instead, they’ll spend quite a bit of time in different trees. When sleeping, they can be observed nodding and bobbing their heads similarly to humans.

Spectral Tarsier

Spectral tarsiers are care carnivores that eat mainly insects and bugs. They live in Sulawesi, Indonesia. They are also nocturnal primates as well. The life span of a spectral tarsier is 8 to 12 years. Male primates are usually larger than females. Males 14 inches and females 13 inches. Spectral tarsiers have a good sense of smell and hearing. They also have strong legs.

What Do Spectral Tarsiers Eat?

As carnivores, spectral tarsiers like to eat locusts, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, and more. They love to eat insects. Spectral tarsiers hunt at night and eat during the day.

Siau Island Tarsier

Siau island tarsiers live in Indonesia; it is said that over 80% of their population has been destroyed, making them an endangered species. Siau island tarsiers weigh between 3.5 and 5 oz. The precise life span of a siau island tarsier is not known. The lifespan of a siau island tarsier is estimated to be 8 to 12 years. Siau island tarsiers have big eyes and distinctly shaped skulls.

What Do Siau Island Tarsiers Eat?

Siau island tarsiers mainly eat insects. They consume frogs, lizards, small birds, and more.

Peleng Tarsiers

Peleng Tarsiers are nocturnal primates that live in Indonesia. They are very small weighing about 2 ounces. Its ears are small and fur color is usually brown, grey, or reddish looking. It is said that peleng tarsiers are able to communicate via ultrasonic frequencies.

Diet of Peleng Tarsiers

Peleng tarsiers are insectivores; their diet mainly consists of eating insects that are small and easy to hunt.

Sangihe Tarsier

Sangihe tarsiers are from the Sangir Island. These primates have large round looking eyes. When compared to the size of their bodies, their tails are quite long.

What Do Sangihe Tarsier Eat?

The diet of a sangihe tarsier consists of eating insects. They eat beetles, lizards, grasshoppers, and other small vertebrates.

Lariang Tarsier

Lariang Tarsiers live in Sulawesi, Indonesia. They have large eyes and dark, grey, o brownish fur. Its scientific name is Tarsius lariang. They eat tend to eat only insects like grasshoppers, lizards, bugs, and more.

Dian’s Tarsier

Dian’s Tarsier live in Sulawesi, Indonesia. As nocturnal primates, they prefer to hunt at night, which is when they are more active. They were first recognized as a species in 1921 by Miller and Hollister. Dian’s Tarsiers have large eyes that are distinct and fixed inside of their skulls. They enjoy eating insects and eating and hunting at night.

Frequently Asked General Questions About Tarsiers 

1. Do Tarsiers Make Good Pets?

No, tarsiers don’t make good pets in case you were thinking about getting one as a pet. The thing about tarsiers is that they aren’t very active during the day; they have minimal movement. They are very active at night, which is when people are sleeping. So, tarsiers aren’t the best pets for someone to get. Also, the majority of them are usually captured as a result of the exotic pet trade.

2. Can You Own A Tarsier?

Yes, you can own a tarsier. However, they don’t make good pets; they aren’t fun or all that interesting. Also, they don’t fit well among humans.

3. Are Tarsiers Dangerous?

No, tarsiers aren’t known to be dangerous at all; they are pretty harmless animals. The only issue is that they could potentially spread parasites and worms to humans; that’s about it.

4. Are Tarsiers Suicidal?

As strange as this might sound, yes, tarsiers are suicidal animals. They are known to repeatedly bang their hands, which often results in death. The skull of a tarsier is also small and thin, which is they get seriously injured and die when they bang their heads.

5. What Happens If You Touch A Tarsier?

If you touch a tarsier, bad things can happen; these primates can get stressed and uncomfortable fast. If you touch them, they can actually injury themselves by banging their heads on surfaces, objects, and things.

6. How Much Do Tarsiers Cost?

The exact price of tarsiers is not known. However, it is said that they are purchased for as little as $2 in certain countries.

7. How Far Can Tarsiers Jump?

Tarsiers can jump distances of up to 18 ft or 5.4 meters; they can jump pretty far.

8. Is A Tarsier A Monkey?

No, a tarsier is not a monkey, which is the misconception that most people have about them. Instead, tarsiers are primates just like humans.

9. What Food Do Tarsiers Eat?

Tarsiers are insectivorous animals; they mainly eat bugs and insects. Tarsiers will eat insects regardless of if they are alive or not.

10. How Long Does A Tarsier Live?

It is said that tarsiers will live anywhere from 2 to 12 years; they have a decent life span.

11. Why Are Tarsiers Eyes So Big?

These tiny and cute primates have big eyes. Tarsiers have big eyes eye so that they can see better in low-light. Bigger retinas make it easier for tarsiers to see.

12. Is Tarsier The Smallest Monkey in The World?

Tarsiers aren’t monkeys; they are primates, which is the same as humans.

13. How Many Incisors Does A Tarsier Have?

Tarsiers have 34 teeth, which is a lot. Tarsiers have two incisors. Interestingly, they are one of the few primates that have two incisors that are located on their bottom jaw.

14. How Much Does A Tarsier Weigh?

Tarsiers don’t weigh a lot; they anywhere from 1.1 oz to 5.9 oz.

15. Is The Tarsier Endangered?

Yes, tarsiers are endangered primates; there’s a lot of illegal selling of these animals. Also, due to logging and mining in the Philippines, the number of living tarsiers is on the decline.

16. Is Tarsier A Primate?

Yes, a tarsier is a primate and not a monkey, which is what most people think that they are.

17. Where Is The Tarsier Found?

The tarsier mainly lives in Southern Philippines. You can find them in Borneo, Bangka, and even in Indonesia.

Conclusions

Tarsiers are some of the smallest primates in the world; they are also insectivores, meaning that they mainly eat insects. In general. tarsiers are friendly and loving. However, they can easily get stressed out, which will lead to them hurting themselves.