Tarsier spotted in Tangkoko National Park, in the very North of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia.
The Tarsiers of Sulawesi are nocturnal, so it is really hard to take good photos of them. They often hide in hollow tree trunks and are really hard to spot, plus they are shy,
So I managed to take just a few decent photos of Tarsier, thanks to our Park Guide who was good at spotting them.
It is hard to believe that they are primates, therefore very closely related to humans!
From Encyclopedia Britannica:
Tarsier is any of three species (genus Tarsius, family Tarsiidae) ) of nocturnal prosimian primates found on several South Asian islands.
Tarsiers have large, goggling eyes and a round head that can be rotated 180°. The ears are large, membranous, and almost constantly in motion.
Tarsiers are 4–6 in. (9–16 cm) long; the thin, tufted tail of about twice that length provides balance and support. The gray to dark brown fur is thick and silky. Tarsiers prey mainly on insects. The well-furred newborn is born with eyes open.
Sulawesi, or spectral, tarsier Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primates, preying on insects, lizards, and snakes. Clinging upright to trees, they press the tail against the trunk for support. Their grip is also aided by the tips of their digits, which are expanded into disklike adhesive pads. Tarsiers move through the forest by launching themselves from trunk to trunk propelled by their greatly elongated hind limbs.
Tarsier taxonomy is still a matter of some debate. Tarsiers are classified with monkeys, apes, and humans (infraorder Simiiformes) in the suborder Haplorrhini, but it constitutes a separate infraorder, Tarsiiformes.
See more info:
- www.britannica.com/animal/tarsier
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_tarsier