Rainforest Marvels - Tarsier - Smallest Primate in the World

Today, Steemians, I present the Tarsier to you!

The Tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world. Tarsiers are found in limited areas in South East Asia and the Philippines and prefer secondary growth forest. They are considered gravely endangered in the wild. To give you a sense for their miniature size they could fit in your hand weighing a tiny 2.8-5.6 oz, measuring 3.5-6 inches!

The Tarsiers brain is well adapted to nocturnal life. Much of the brain is devoted to the visual cortex. Most interestingly, they have long ankle bones (called tarsals - hence the name tarsier) and their heads can rotate 180 degrees. If you watch the video below you will see how sensitive this little being is. Their ears are a specialized hearing system that can pin point sound that you and I cannot fathom. They are quite nimble and have adhesive pads on their fingers and toes that allow them to cling to branches. They generally leap from place to place and upon their prey!

Tarsiers are wholly carnivores, devouring insects, lizards and snakes mostly with some species eating birds too. They are the only primate that is entirely carnivorous. They live in monogamous pairs and can be heard singing in the night. Their lifespan is between 2-12 years. In fact the oldest captive tarsier lived to 16 years. Their enemies are feral cats, raptors, owls, monitors, civets and large snakes.

I have not had the pleasure of seeing a tarsier in the flesh but I have always been fascinated by them. It is a shame they are critically endangered.