Tarsiers. Tarsier - a small creature from the order of primates Features of life in the wild

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Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata Subtype: Vertebrates Class: Mammals Infraclass: Placental Order: Primates Suborder: Dry-nosed monkeys Infraorder: Tarsiers Family: Tarsiers Genus: Tarsiers
Kinds:
Bancan tarsier (Tarsius bancanus)
Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)

ghost tarsier (Tarsius spectrum)
Tarsiers are unusual primates that belong to the group of mammals that also includes lemurs, monkeys and humans.

Tarsier (Tarsier, lat. Tarsius) is a small mammal from the order of primates, the very specific appearance of which has created a somewhat ominous halo around this small animal weighing up to one hundred and sixty grams.
The ancestors of tarsiers are called mammals from the family Omomyidae, which, however, did not exist for so long and became extinct in the Oligocene.

Tarsiers are widespread in Southeast Asia, and each species is localized on certain islands.
Sirichta is found in the Philippines (Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol islands); bank tarsier - in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bank, Serasan;

ghost tarsier - on Sulawesi, Salayar and neighboring islands.
Tarsiers are small animals, their height ranges from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail with a length of 13 to 28 cm:
The most noticeable feature is the large eyes with a diameter of up to 16 mm. When projected onto human height, tarsier eyes correspond to the size of an apple:

The weight of tarsiers varies from 80 to 160 grams.
Tarsiers are especially distinguished by their long hind limbs, large head, capable of turning almost 360°, wide and shortened muzzle with very large eyes looking straight ahead, like monkeys, and good hearing:
Tarsiers have extremely long fingers, round and bare ears:

Particularly impressionable tourists even say that the first time they see huge shining eyes looking at them without blinking, and the next moment the animal turns its head almost 360 degrees and you look straight at the back of its head, you become, to put it mildly, uneasy. The forelimbs are much shorter than the hind limbs; in the foot the heel section (tarsus) is especially elongated, from which the name of the animals is taken - tarsier (Tarsius). The hand and foot are grasping, with thin, at their end there are expanded pads that serve as a kind of suction cups when climbing trees. All toes are equipped with nails, but the second and third toes have toilet claws.

Soft wool has a brown or grayish tint; it varies in general shades and the presence of various spots different types and subspecies.
Tarsiers are active primarily at night. They live in trees in forests, hiding during the day in dense vegetation.

Tarsiers can climb trees very dexterously, and also with the help of long hind legs jump several meters. As a rule, tarsiers live in pairs, sometimes also in small groups.

Tarsiers are the only primates that eat exclusively animal foods. They use their ability to jump to stun prey.
In a day, tarsiers can eat food that makes up 10% of their weight.
Tarsiers' main diet is insects; in addition to them, they also eat small vertebrates.

The gestation period for tarsiers is quite long (about 6 months); the baby is born in a well-developed state. First, it attaches itself to the mother's stomach, or she carries it by taking it by the scruff of the neck with her teeth. After seven weeks, he switches from milk to meat food. Young tarsiers reach sexual maturity at the age of one year. The oldest known tarsier had a lifespan of 13 years (in captivity).

Tarsiers are nocturnal insectivores; among primates, they are also distinguished by the presence of claws instead of ordinary nails. This type has not been recorded since 1921. In 2000, Indonesian scientists who were trapping rats in the Sulawesi highlands accidentally caught and killed a pygmy tarsier. “Until then, no one even thought they existed because people had been looking for them for decades and no one had seen or heard of them.”

Attempts to tame tarsiers and make them into pets are unsuccessful and usually lead to the death of the animal through a short time. Tarsiers cannot get used to captivity; in attempts to escape, they often break their heads on the bars of their cages.

The main threat to tarsiers is the destruction of their living environment. Additionally, they are still hunted for their meat.
In the past, tarsiers played a large role in the mythology and superstition of the people of Indonesia. The Indonesians thought that the heads of tarsiers were not attached to the body (since they could rotate almost 360°), and were afraid to encounter them, because they believed that the same fate could happen to people in this case.

Filipinos considered tarsiers to be the pets of forest spirits.
In the anime series Animatrix in the series "Accepted" (English Matriculated), the tame tarsier Baby (English Baby) is used as an observer during the war between people and machines and is capable of connecting to a reality simulation program on a par with people.

Thus, the indigenous population of Indonesia and the Philippine Islands connected an absurd appearance tarsier with the tricks of evil spirits. However, many of our contemporaries, who see the tarsier for the first time in its native habitat, remain amazed by its non-standard appearance.

Particularly impressionable tourists even say that the first time they see huge shining eyes looking at them without blinking, and the next moment the animal turns its head almost 360 degrees and you look straight at the back of its head, you become, to put it mildly, uneasy. By the way, local aborigines still believe that the tarsier’s head exists separately from the body.

In the Indonesian jungle you can find many different exotic animals. Among them is the Philippine tarsier, which has a very interesting and unusual appearance. These animals are partly similar to monkeys, partly to lemurs. After much debate, scientists came to the decision to classify them as primates. Next, we will tell you in detail about such an exotic animal.

Description and photo

Tarsiers are quite small in size. The majority of them can fit in the palm of a person. The body length of such an animal reaches an average of 10-15 cm, and the weight usually does not exceed 150 g. Moreover, the tail of such animals is very long and is approximately twice as tall. The animal's head looks very large compared to the body, since their brain is large. In addition, the tarsier can rotate it 360 degrees.

But what people first notice is the animal’s unusually large eyes. They're even bigger than his brain. The hind legs are significantly longer than the front legs. They have five fingers and sharp claws at their tips. Due to this structure of the limbs, tarsiers are able to quickly and deftly move from tree to tree.

Did you know?Them But the tarsier has the largest eyes among the entire animal world. For this they were even included in the Guinness Book of Records. The pupils are most often very small, and the color of the membrane is yellow. At night, the eyes may glow, which can be frightening to an untrained observer.

The fur is grayish-brown, but some species have a brown coat. The ears are large and very mobile. There are also 34 sharp small teeth. The animal’s muzzle is flat, but the facial facial muscles are highly developed, and therefore the animals can quickly and easily change their facial expressions.

Habitat

Tarsiers live in the Philippine Islands. They love the tropics and dense vegetation. They prefer to be under the shelter of branched trees, tall grass, among bamboo shoots or in bushes. If necessary, they descend to the ground quickly and are also able to climb trees just as quickly.
The animals discussed most often lead a solitary lifestyle. They rarely meet each other when they cross other people's territories. One male can occupy a territory of about 6.45 hectares, and a female - about 2.45 hectares. With all this, the density of Philippine tarsiers per 100 hectares is about 16 males and 40 females. In 24 hours, the animal is able to cover up to 1.5 km of forest plantations, thus bypassing its property.

Features of life in the wild

These animals are very unusual, and their way of life has always aroused interest among zoologists.

Lifestyle

The animal is active in the dark, and when dawn comes, it prefers to hide in the thickets of the forest or in the grass. Thus, he hides from the eyes of prying eyes. Tarsiers go searching for food at night. Their eyes and ears are very well developed, so such animals are also excellent hunters.

Nutrition

They are active predators that primarily eat birds, lizards and insects. But the latter are loved the most. Perhaps these are the only representatives of primates whose diet consists entirely of animal food. During the course of a day, a tarsier can eat so many insects that their weight can be equal to about 10% of the weight of the animal itself.

They are a kind of forest orderlies, as they help in the fight against locusts. Such an animal can stun its prey with just one jump. When the prey is caught, the animal brings it to its mouth with one or two paws. Tarsiers have practically no natural enemies, except perhaps birds of prey, for example, owls.

Important! The most significant damage to the population in question is caused by people who hunt them, birds of prey, and feral cats.

Reproduction

Despite their love of solitary life, tarsiers can still periodically create pairs for reproduction. Some scientists argue that a male can date different females from time to time, but most experts are still inclined to call these animals monogamous.
Pregnancy in females lasts approximately 6 months. The baby is born already quite developed. At first, he clings to his mother so that she can carry him and feed him. breast milk. But after 2 months, little tarsiers can switch to meat food. The participation of males in raising the baby is usually not observed. Sexual maturity in young tarsiers occurs at approximately one year of age.

Is it possible to buy a funny animal?

Because of this unusual appearance Many people want to tame the Philippine tarsier. But those who found the opportunity to place this tiny animal in their home could be convinced that it was not adapted to artificial conditions, since it is not a domestic animal, but a wild one.

Important!Currently international legislation protects the Philippine tarsier. The purchase and sale of such animals is strictly prohibited.

It happened that a tarsier put in a cage tried so hard to get out of there that he even smashed his head against the bars. Destruction natural environment for tarsiers is the greatest threat. There are also people who hunt these animals in order to get their meat. Attempts to domesticate tarsiers are unsuccessful and can lead to the death of the animal.

Where can you see tarsiers

It is very difficult to meet this unusual animal, since it prefers to be active at night and, moreover, does not gather in packs. You can observe how the tarsier behaves as part of an excursion while visiting the Loboc River, which is located on the island of Bohol.

Currently, this tiny animal, for the most part, lives only on this island. However, there are no more than 200 of them there. The species in question is dying at an incredible rate and is gradually beginning to disappear altogether. This is due, first of all, to the fact that they are large quantities killed by poachers. Another reason is the fact that these animals are hunted by birds of prey. Local residents try to take care of the tarsiers and not harm them. They have a belief that tarsiers are pets of spirits that live in forest thickets. The population believes that if a small animal is harmed, invisible spirits will take revenge on the offender. In any case, tourists can always come to this wonderful island and see with their own eyes this interesting and unusual big-eyed animal.

Monkey tarsier belong to the genus of Primates, and they differ from all their relatives in their exotic appearance. It was thanks to their unusual appearance that they became heroes of many films and cartoons. Even by photo it's clear that tarsier, a very small animal whose body weight may not exceed 160 grams.

Males have more weight than females. They are about 10-16 cm tall and can easily fit in your hand. In addition, these small animals have a 30 cm tail and long paws with which they push off.

On all limbs they have long, adapted fingers with thickening at the tips, which allow such animals to easily move through the trees.

The length of their jump can be a couple of meters due to the special structure of their legs. Compared to the entire body, the head of these animals is much larger than the entire body. It is also connected to the spine vertically, which allows you to turn your head almost 360˚.

Usually Philippine tarsier has large ears that are capable of hearing sounds with frequencies up to 90 kHz. The ears and tail are not covered with hair, but the rest of the body is covered.

There are facial muscles on its face that enable the animal to change its facial expression. These animals have lived on Earth for 45 million years and are the oldest animal species in the Philippine Islands.

At one time they could be found in Europe and Northern Europe. But now their population has greatly decreased and they can only be seen in remote corners of the planet.

A unique feature that this animal has is its large eyes. Their diameter can be up to 16 mm. In the dark they glow and allow him to see perfectly.

The entire body of the animal is covered with short, dark hair. It is precisely because of their peculiarity that many people want to purchase such animals for themselves.

To tarsier buy, you need to go to their habitats, where local guides and hunters can offer a suitable option. The place of residence of such animals is Southeast Asia, and more specifically Sumatra and the Philippine Islands.

Character and lifestyle

Most often they live in dense forests, in trees. It is on the tree that they spend most time. These animals are very shy, so during the day they hide in dense foliage. But at night they become dexterous hunters who go out hunting to make money.

They move through trees by jumping, but in this case their tail serves as balancing. They lead a solitary lifestyle and are nocturnal in their lifestyle.

Tarsiers very rarely descend to the ground and are constantly found on tree branches. In a day, this small animal can cover up to 500 meters, bypassing the place where it lives. When morning comes, they hide in a tree and sleep.

If this animal is unhappy with something, then it can emit a very thin squeak, which a person cannot always hear. With his voice, he informs other individuals that he is there. He can also communicate with other individuals using ultrasound at a frequency of 70 kHz. But the human ear can only perceive 20 kHz.

Tarsier food

Usually, pygmy tarsier feeds on small vertebrates and insects. Unlike all other relatives, they eat only animal food, but do not eat plants.

While hunting they for a long time are in a wait-and-see position until the prey approaches it itself or is at a distance of one jump.

With their hands, a tarsier can hold a lizard, and any other insect, which they immediately eat, decapitating them with their teeth. They also consume water by lapping it up like a dog.

In a day, a tarsier can eat approximately 10% of its weight in food. In addition, it has many natural enemies, which include birds (owls). The greatest damage is caused to them by people and feral cats.

People have tried many times to tame this animal, but an animal born in captivity wants space, which is why tarsiers have repeatedly attempted to escape. They are very freedom-loving animals, but people try to take that away from them.

Usually price on tarsier It depends on the animal itself and the place where it will be purchased. The lowest price will be in close proximity to their habitat.

Reproduction and lifespan

Tarsiers are considered loners and can only be seen in pairs during the breeding season. According to some sources, a male can date several females at once, as a result of which only one baby can be born.

On average, a female's pregnancy lasts about six months, and the child is immediately born as a very developed animal. He grabs his mother's stomach and moves through the trees with her. During the first seven weeks of life, he drinks mother's milk, and later switches to animal food.

Today these animals are in great danger. After all, man not only destroys the forests where they live, but also tries to make tarsier lemur pets. Very often they succeed in doing this, but in captivity the animals quickly die.

The female tarsier has several nipples, but when feeding her baby she uses only the breast pair. After a month, after birth, the cub can jump in trees. The father does not take any part in raising the child. Tarsiers do not make nests for their babies, since the mother constantly carries the child with her.

The animal reaches sexual maturity after one year of life. After one year they leave their mother and begin to live independently. Average, goggle-eyed tarsier has a lifespan of about 10 years.

The life record for this animal in captivity was 13.5 years. They are the size of an adult's palm and spend most of their time sleeping. Every year their number decreases, which is why this animal is protected in order to save this unusual species.

A look like no other animal, super long fingers, velvety fur, good reflexes to catch insects or even birds - tarsiers are an unusual genus of primates! Here are a few facts that make tarsier an absolutely amazing animal.

Main distinguishing feature Tarsier is their eyes. They have the largest eyes relative to body size among mammals. The diameter of each eyeball is about 16 mm and in size more brain, but large eyes are very important for tarsiers, since they are nocturnal animals. The eyes are so large that they are unable to turn them, and instead the neck does this work. Tarsiers can turn their necks a full 180 degrees in each direction, like the owls or tarsier in the photo below:

They use this ability to silently wait for prey. Tarsiers are completely carnivorous primates. Taste preferences depend on the species, but all have one common feature: they don't eat at all plant foods. Tarsiers hunt insects, reptiles (lizards and snakes), frogs, birds and even bats. Despite the fact that they are small and cute, they are quite ferocious predators that can wait for hours for their prey and catch birds during the flight.

Photo: Khoroshunova Olga/Shutterstock

Tarsiers get their name because of their extremely long hind limbs, which help them climb trees well. They have quite a long tail, A hind legs twice as long as the head. Tarsiers can jump up to 40 times their body length, flying more than 4 meters in a single jump.

Photo: Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock

They don't jump around the treetops as you might expect. Instead, they tend to live 1-2 meters above the ground. Tarsiers need plenty of leaf cover, especially for sleeping, as in the photo below:

All tarsier species are vulnerable and endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Without significant efforts to conserve their habitat, they are undoubtedly at risk of extinction. The tarsier's special needs for both habitat and food production make captive breeding programs nearly impossible. Only about 50 percent of tarsiers survive in captivity. Preserving their habitat is their only hope for salvation.

The tarsier monkey belongs to the Primate genus and forms its own family, the Dolgopyatov. It could not be otherwise, since tarsiers have an extremely exotic appearance, and are completely unlike other representatives of the Primate genus.

Thanks to such an unusual appearance, tarsiers have become heroes of mythical stories and legends.

Philippine tarsier

Tarsiers are tiny animals with a body weight of 80-160 g and a height of 9 to 16 cm. They have long hind legs and a bare tail, reaching a length of 30 cm. The fingers of both the hind and forelimbs are long, with thickenings at the tips, which form a kind of suction cups to facilitate movement through trees.

Compared to the body, the head of tarsiers is quite large. It is connected to the spine more vertically than in other primates. An extraordinary feature of tarsiers is the ability to turn their heads almost 360º.

Their relatively large ears, like the tail, are not covered with hair; Tsolgopyatov is distinguished by excellent hearing. They are able to hear sounds with frequencies up to 90 kHz.

Eyes - unique feature their appearance. They reach a diameter of 16 mm. At night they glow, which gives these animals something magical.

The body of the tarsier is covered with short grayish or brown hair.

Nutrition

Tarsiers are the only primates whose diet consists exclusively of animal foods, namely insects and small reptiles. During the hunt, the tarsier jumps sharply, stunning and immobilizing its prey. During the day, he can absorb food weighing up to 10% of his body weight.

Habitat and lifestyle

The natural habitat of tarsiers is Southeast Asia, namely the Philippine Islands, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi. Tarsiers prefer dense forests, where they spend most of their time in the branchy crowns of trees. Quiet and shy during the day, they hide among the dense foliage. At night they become dexterous hunters.

Tarsiers move by jumping, pushing off with their hind legs like a frog, and using their tail as a balancer.

Reproduction

Tarsiers are solitary animals; they extremely rarely live in groups; only during the breeding season can they be seen in pairs.

The female's pregnancy lasts about 6 months, and the baby is born quite developed. He grabs his mother's stomach and moves through the trees with her. During the first 7 weeks of life, the little goggle-eyed tarsier feeds on milk, and then moves on to animal food.

Today, tarsiers, which Aboriginal people consider to be the pets of forest spirits, are in danger. Man is not only rapidly destroying the forests in which they live, but is also trying to tame tarsiers and make them pets, which rarely leads to success; in captivity, tarsiers quickly die.