Tarsiers

Earlier tarsiers belonged to the obsolete suborder suborder, today they are considered as one of the families of dry-nosed monkeys ( Haplorhini ). In the Eocene and Oligocene, there was a family close to tarsiers called Omomyidae , whose representatives lived in Eurasia and North America . They are considered the ancestors of tarsiers.

Distinguish from three to eight species of tarsiers. While five of them can be considered subspecies, indisputable species status possess:

• Tarsiers Diana ( Tarsius dentatus ) ^[4]
• Tarsius fuscus
• Tarsius lariang
• Tarsius pelengensis
• Dwarf tarsier ( Tarsius pumilus )
• Tarsius sangirensis
• Eastern tarsier ( Tarsius tarsier ) ^[5]
• Tarsius tumpara
• Tarsius wallacei
• Tarsius spectrumgurskyae
• Tarsius supriatnai

Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia , primarily on the islands of Sumatra , Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi , the Philippines, and many adjacent islands.

Tarsiers are small animals, their growth is from 9 to 16 cm. In this case, the bare tail with a tassel at the end reaches a length of 13 to 28 cm. Weight varies from 80 to 160 g. They are especially distinguished by long hind limbs, a large rounded head, sitting the spine is more upright than the rest of the monkey genus, and is able to rotate almost 360 °, a relatively large brain , and good hearing . Tarsiers are the only known primates that “communicate” in pure ultrasound. They can hear sounds with frequencies up to 90 kHz and scream at frequencies around 70 kHz. ^[6] Dental formula: incisors 2/1, fangs 1/1, pre-radical 3/3, molar 3/3, 34 teeth in total.

Fingers are extremely long, equipped at the ends with thickenings, as if suckers, facilitating climbing trees, ears are round and bare. Soft coat has a brown or grayish tint. However, the largest attention in the appearance of tarsiers is attracted by large eyes with a diameter of up to 16 mm, which are facing forward more than other primates. In a projection on human growth, the eyes of tarsiers are the size of an apple. Above all, their huge yellow eyes glow in the dark.

Tarsiers are active mainly at night. They live on trees in forests, hiding in the dense vegetation during the day. They know how to climb trees very dexterously, and also with the help of long hind legs to jump several meters, throwing their hind limbs back, like a frog or a grasshopper. They use the tail as a balancer. As a rule, tarsiers are loners; In wildlife, individuals can be separated by kilometers, and they are very jealous of the protection of their territory. The best chance to meet a female with a male is presented during the full moon in December-January, when they have a mating season. In specially created reserves, however, tarsiers get along in groups.

The main food for tarsiers is insects , in addition to them, they also eat small vertebrates . Tarsiers are the only primates that feed exclusively on animal food. They use their jumping skills to stun prey. For a day, tarsiers can take food, the mass of which is about 10% of its own mass.

The period of pregnancy in tarsiers is quite long (about 6 months), the cub is born already well-developed, sighted, with a body weight of 25–27 g, with a strong grasping reflex. First, he clings to the mother’s stomach or she carries it, taking her teeth by the scruff. After 7 weeks, he goes from milk to meat food. Young tarsiers reach puberty at the age of 1 year. The life expectancy of the oldest known tarsier was 13 years (in captivity).

The main threat to tarsiers is the destruction of their living environment. In addition, they are still hunted because of their meat. Attempts to tame tarsiers and make pets out of them are unsuccessful and usually lead to the death of the animal in a short time. Tarsiers cannot get used to captivity; trying to escape, he often breaks his head about the bars of a cage.

Tarsiers in Culture and Art

In the past, tarsiers played a large role in the mythology and superstitions of the peoples of Indonesia . The Indonesians thought that the heads of tarsiers are not attached to the body (since they can rotate almost 360 °), and were afraid of meeting them, because they believed that in contact with these creatures a similar fate could befall a person .

Filipinos considered tarsiers pets of forest spirits .

In the anime series Animatrix in the series “Accepted” ( Eng. Matriculated ) hand tarsier Baby ( Eng. Baby ) is used as an observer during the war between people and machines and is able to connect to the reality simulation program along with people.

Tarsiers is mentioned in Alexander Belyaev ’s novel “The Lord of the World” .

In the computer game " Pink Panther: Hocus Pocus " on the island of Borneo appears tarsiers.

• Richard Dawkins . “ The Tale of the Ancestor ” (Rendezvous 7. Tarsiers), 2004

• Tarsiers in culture and art on the Philippines portal. RU
• Tarsiers: Photos, Information
• A Real Little Killer with Amazing Abilities or Fluffy Death - Tarsiers on YouTube