The philippine tarsier

Philippine tarsier Tarsius syrichta This interesting animal is often described as the smallest monkey of the world. But it is neither monkey nor the smallest.

The pygmy tarsier, by the way, is considerably smaller than the Philippine tarsier, while the pygmy mouse lemur, found only in Madagascar, is now being recognized as the smallest primate in the world.

The tarsier was first introduced to Western biologists through the description given to J. Petiver by the missionary J. Camel of an animal said to have come from the Philippines Hill, Petiver published Camel's description in and named the animal Cercopithecus luzonis minimus which was the basis for Linnaeus' Simia syrichta and eventually Tarsius syrichta.

Among the locals, the tarsier is known as "mamag", "mago", "magau", "maomag", "malmag" and "magatilok-iok".

Morphology

The species is believed to be about 45 million The philippine tarsier old, dating back to the early Eocene period, and probably one of the oldest land species continuously existing in the Philippines. Currently, the Philippine tarsier is categorized as a "lower risk, conservation dependent" species, which means that, although it is not yet categorized as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, it could qualify for one of those categories within five years if the present protection programs are stopped.

The Philippine tarsier has a gray fur and a nearly naked tail. The middle finger is elongated. Head and body length are around mm; It weighs grams.

Interesting Facts – Philippine Tarsier Foundation, Inc.

Males are larger than females. In comparison with his body size, the eyes of the tarsier are enormous. In volume, the capacity of the bony eye orbits, or eye sockets, is larger than that of the brain case, and also larger than its stomach.

Their eye sockets have post-orbital closure rather than the postorbital bar of the prosimians.

This feature keeps the eyeballs from being pressed against by the powerful temporal muscles to their sides. The tarsier has a relatively very long tail mmgenerally naked except for a tuft of hair at its end.

The underside has dermal ridges like those found on human hands and feet. Its tail is used for balancing like a tripod; they prefer an erect posture at all times.

Like an owl, the tarsier has a joint between its skull base and spine to allow head movement of a degree arc. Its upper lip lacks a cleft yet, but still has muscles, so that it can make facial expressions.

The adult brain weighs about 4 grams. Tarsiers have sharp teeth, enabling them to catch their prey easier. Unique among primates, tarsiers have only two, rather than four, incisors in their lower jaw.

Their dental formula is 2.

Ecology and behaviour

The name "tarsier" or "tarsius" is derived from the animal's very long ankle bones. The tibia and fibula of the tarsiers are fused in their lower portions, acting as a shock absorber.

This is considered a primitive trait, which can normally be seen in quadrupeds.All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms, some tarsiers may show more or less activity during the daytime.

Tarsiers tend to be extremely shy. Fun Facts About the Philippine Tarsier Reproduction. Gestation takes about six months; Tarsiers give birth to single offspring. “The Philippine tarsier is a very territorial animal that prefers to live in isolation.

The Philippine Tarsier

Unlike other primates, the tarsier loves its personal space. Each tarsier likes to have one hectare of territory; that’s why tarsiers are so difficult to find.”. The Philippine tarsier is a bilaterally symmetrical species. The tarsier has big, bat-like ears and a round head, but what makes it easiest to recognize is its eyes, the largest of any mammal in proportion to its body.

The Philippine Tarsier COMMONLY called the “world’s smallest monkey” for its physical similarities to that primate, the tarsier, along with the lemur, tree shrew and loris, in fact belong to a more primitive suborder Prosimii or prosimian. May 17,  · The Philippine tarsier monkey is the world's smallest primate, according to the people who own the monkeys.

Honors for This Video: #26 - Most Viewed (Today) - Pets & Animals - All. There is another centre on Bohol Island run by the Philippine tarsier foundation, Inc. in Corella, which offers quite good conditions to both tarsiers and visitors.

Recently tarsier sanctuary of total area ha was established in its surrounding.