Philippine Tarsier Biology

Classification

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Tarsiidae
Common Name: Philippine Tarsier

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Introduction

The Philippine Tarsier is probably the smallest primate in the world. They are not actually monkeys but are primates. Their Latin name is 'Tarsius Syrichta'. They have a diet that consists of mainly insects and they do have to be live for tarsiers to eat them. Their height is between 90 to 160 mm (3.5 to 6.25 inches). Their weight is between 70 to 165 grams (2.4 to 5.8 ozs). Their big eyes give them very acute night vision which makes them good hunters during the dark. Their big ears can move in the direction of any noise and their heads can swivel through 180 degrees. This all helps them to hunt efficiently.

They are still found in parts of the Philippines with other types of Tarsier found in Indonesia and Borneo for example. However They used to be all over the South East Asian Islands and there are some records of them on mainline coasts. It has now been estimated that there are only between 5,000 and 10,000 Philippine Tarsiers left in the whole world and that number is currently believed to be falling. Efforts have been made to breed them in captivity but although they are very loveable animals they do not live long in captivity. If they become unhappy it is said that they commit suicide by banging their heads on something hard like cage bars.

Tarsiers suffer from a number of factors over the years that have contributed to the reduction in their numbers. The destruction of the Rain Forest has been one of the factors as they all live in that type of terrain. As these have been systematically removed so tarsier numbers have fallen.

Another factor is the hunting of tarsiers for pets. In some countries they can be brought for as little as (equivalent in local currency) £1.80. However they generally do not live long in captivity unless they can be kept happy and engaged. President Fidel V. Ramos signed Proclamation 1030 which has made the Philippine Tarsier a protected species. Unfortunately no such protection applies in other countries.

Red listing

When this site started, the Philippine Tarsiers, were classified as DD (Data Deficient). This meant that there was not enough data to be able to accurately assess the state of their survivability.

Since then a number of surveys and research projects have and are taking place. They are therefore now listed in the Primate Red List as being Near Threatened.

Near Threatened is described as not quantified as being under threat at the moment but is close to being qualified into one of the three Threatened categories which might happen in the near future. One of the reasons for this is that it is felt that more research into Philippine Tarsier numbers is still needed.

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About the Red List

The three categories of Threatened animals are:

• Critically Endangered
• Endangered
• Vulnerable

The Red List is operated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This produces assessment lists for all endangered animals and categorizes them against their researched numbers etc. It is the main list for this accepted by all bodies throughout the world. Tarsiers appear on the Primate Red List.

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Other tarsier species

There are nine other Tarsier species on the Primate Red List. They are:

• Tarsius Bancanus (Horsfield's Tarsier) - Vulnerable
• Tarsius Dentatus (Dian's Tarser) - Vulnerable
• Tarsius Lariang (Lariang Tarsier) - Data Deficient
• Tarsius Pelengensis (Peleng Island Tarsier) - Endangered
• Tarsius Pumilus (Pygmy Tarsier) - Data Deficient
• Tarsius Sangirensis (Sanghihe Tarsier) - Endangered
• Tarsius Tarsier (Spectral Tarsier) - Vulnerable
• Tarsius Tumpara (Siau Island Tarsier) - Critically Endangered
• Tarsius Wallacei (Wallace's Tarsier) - Data Deficient

Range

You can find them on a number of islands in the Philippines including Mindanao, Letye, Samar and Bohol. The Foundation that helps them survive is based on the island of Bohol. This is the best place to see them as they normally live in primary and secondary rainforests and only come out at night. The guides at the Foundation know exactly where to find them and will be able to show you. They are very good as they know all the rules to follow so you do not frighten the tarsiers. Please follow the instructions they will give you.

On the island of Mindanao, there is a smaller centre for the preservation of the Tarsier. This can be found outside the town of Tupi between General Santos and Koronadal. The visitor centre there can be visited with an appointment from the municipal office in Tupi.

Ecology

They eat live insects, like mosquitos, but sometimes find a small lizard very tasty. If the item is large they will catch it with their hands although smaller items are normally caught in their mouth. They eat a lot of mosquitos.

They sleep in the dense tangles of saplings and ferns as well as inside the clumps that can be found at the base of bamboo trees. They find a spot about 2 metres above the ground and nest in groups although they have been known to start out on their own.

Locomotion

Phillipine tarsiers are known as a vertical clinger and leaper. This is because they cling on to the branches of the trees with their tail and the suction cups on their fingers when leaping from branch to branch. They have elongated tarsus bones and a fused fibula and tibia which all help them to leap from one branch to the other. Doing this they can travel long distances without touching the ground.

Socially

The males can be a solitary animal although they do also like families and when it comes to mating they can be monogamous or sometimes polygynous. (poly = many: gyny = female). They do look after their young.

When a female gives birth it is to a single offspring. These are born with their eyes open and covered by hair. A pregnancy lasts for approximate 180 days or six months.

They have a number of ways of communicating. Young Tarsiers develop a distress call which they use if they get separated from their mothers. They groom each other for parasites and dead skin as a form of social communication.

Teeth

Their dental formula is 2:1:3:3 on the upper jaw and 1:1:3:3 on the lower. The upper canines are relatively small.

Dental formula is calculated by the number of teeth of each type and is written as a dental formula for one side of the mouth, or quadrant, with the upper and lower teeth shown on separate rows. The number of teeth in a mouth is twice that listed as there are two sides. In each set, incisors (I) are indicated first, canines (C) second, premolars (P) third, and finally molars (M), giving I:C:P:M. So for example, the formula 2.1.2.3 for upper teeth indicates 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars, and 3 molars on one side of the upper mouth. This is the formula for humans with the top set the same as the bottom set, unlike the tarsier.

Morphology

As you can see from the photographs, they have large eyes and also large ears. These help them to hunt during the night as they usually sleep during the day. Their neck is especially adapted so that they can turn their head 180 degrees. While their eyes are large they are fixed into their sockets not like yours. Hence they need to be able to move their neck and head instead instead of their eyes.

They can move my ears so that they can judge the distance and the direction a noise is from their position. Have a look at the video clip from the BBC Earth News series on the YouTube page and you will see a tarsier moving their ears so they can judge the distance and direction and then the other ear. This allows them to be able to judge not only the distance but the exact direction as well, so when they jump to catch their prey, they can be very accurate.

On their feet they have two grooming claws, not one like most animals and suction pads as well as a very long finger. Their tail is naked except for a tuft of hair at the very end. This helps them climb and cling on to the trees they live in.

Their normal colour is grey.

Environment

Tarsiers sometimes fall prey to snakes and the Philippine Eagle. However, the greatest demise in Tarsier numbers was probably down to three factors.

Tarsiers are so cute that some people like to take them home as pets. This is particularly so in both Japan and Mexico. Tarsiers have been hunted for sale to these and other countries since the Second World War. Tarsiers are very sensitive and if they are separated from others the get very stressed. They have be looked after very well to be separated and alone. They are known to commit suicide if kept in cages for long periods. They either hit their heads on the bars of the cage or new research has found they can hold their breath until they die.

The Second World War was itself a large factor in the demise of the Tarsier varieties on many of the islands of the Pacific. This is because of the bombardments that were instituted by all countries fighting in the war. This denuded the islands of the habit of the Tarsiers as well as killing the Tarsiers in the trees.

The other reason is the rainforests that they live in has been removed in many places to build houses and farmland for crops such as pineapples, rice and bananas etc. Illegal logging has resulted in the rainforests being reduced in the Philippines as it is in other countries. This is a problem worldwide and many people are fighting to retain the rainforests we have left. The government of the Philippine is trying to stop illegal logging in the country which is starting to redress the situation.

So please, support the rainforest initiatives and do not buy Tarsiers for pets. Come to the Philippines and see the Tarsiers as they should be - free and living in the rainforests.

Tarsiers in Zoos

After consulting with a number of Zoo's in the UK we have been told that you can't actually see a Tarsier in UK as there aren't any Tarsiers in the UK Zoo's and animal sanctuaries.

We believe that there is a moratorium on the holding of Tarsiers in captivity now.

We used to have a list of three zoo's that held Tarsiers. However checking all three out in 2020, we have heard that no zoo's or animal sanctuaries hold Tarsiers at present.

This means the only places you can see Tarsiers are in the places where they live.