Tarsier Totally Explained

Everything about Tarsiiformes totally explained

Vision

All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show more or less activity during the daytime. Unlike many nocturnal animals, however, tarsiers lack a light-reflecting area (tapetum lucidum) of the eye. They also have a fovea, atypical for nocturnal animals.
The tarsier brain is different from other primates in terms of the arrangement of the connections between the two eyes and the lateral geniculate nucleus, which is the main region of the thalamus that receives visual information. The sequence of cellular layers receiving information from the ipsilateral (same side of the head) and contralateral (opposite side of the head) eyes in the lateral geniculate nucleus distinguishes tarsiers from lemurs, lorises, and monkeys, which are all similar in this respect . Some neuroscientists suggested that "this apparent difference distinguishes tarsiers from all other primates, reinforcing the view that they arose in an early, independent line of primate evolution" .

Biology

They are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them. They are also known to prey on small vertebrates, such as birds, snakes, lizards, and bats

Family Tarsiidae: tarsiers
- Genus Tarsius
  - T. syrichta group
    - Philippine Tarsier, Tarsius syrichta
    - Western or Horsfield's Tarsier, Tarsius bancanus
  - T. tarsier group
    - Spectral Tarsier, Tarsius tarsier
    - Dian's Tarsier, Tarsius dentatus
    - Lariang Tarsier, Tarsius lariang
    - Peleng Tarsier, Tarsius pelengensis
    - Sangihe Tarsier, Tarsius sangirensis
    - Pygmy Tarsier, Tarsius pumilus

Fossil record

Fossils of tarsiers and tarsiiform primates are found in Asia, Europe, and North America, and there are disputed fossils from Africa, but extant tarsiers are restricted to several Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Sumatra. They also have the longest continuous fossil record of any primate genus, and the fossil record indicates that their dentition hasn't changed much, except in size, in the past 45 million years.

Conservation status

One tarsier species, Dian's Tarsier (Tarsius dentatus), is listed on the IUCN Red List as being "Lower Risk - Conservation Dependent". Two other species/sub-species, Horsfield's Tarsier (Tarsius bancanus), Tarsius bancanus bancanus, are listed as "Lower Risk - Least Concern". The Spectral Tarsier (Tarsius spectrum) is categorized as "Lower Risk, Not Threatened." All other tarsier species are listed as "Data Deficient".
Tarsiers have never formed successful breeding colonies in captivity, and when caged, tarsiers have been known to injure and even kill themselves because of the stress.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Tarsiiformes'.

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