The tarsier is also unusual in having especially long ankle bones (tarsals, hence the name tarsier), a short body, and a round head that can be rotated 180°. The face is short, with large, membranous ears that are almost constantly in motion. The fur is thick, silky, and coloured gray to dark brown.

They are very delicate and emotionally-sensitive creatures that get stressed easily. The tour guides explain that tarsiers commit suicide by banging their heads against tree trunks when they get stressed, so visitors have to keep the noise level to a minimum.

Tarsiers have some distinctive adaptations, such as their incredibly large eyes and hands, padded fingertips, a tail twice as long as their bodies, unusually long tarsal or ankle bones (which is where the name ‘tarsier’ comes from), and a head that can rotate 180 degrees.

The Tarsier is a unique animal as they are the only completely carnivorous primates in the world. Tarsiers hold their prey in their front hands to eat it using their strong jaws and teeth, and are known to have wide mouths for their small size to enable them to consume larger prey.

Tarsiers
Tarsiers, tiny nocturnal primates from Southeast Asia (pictured, a Philippine tarsier), are often cited as having huge eyes for their body size.

tarsier social behaviors include playing, allogrooming, snuggling, vocalizing, and scent-marking, while social behaviors with group members away from the sleeping site include playing, allogrooming, snuggling, vocalizing, scent-marking, food-sharing, and copulating (Gursky 2000c).

Arturo (polar bear)

If you put them in a cage they want to go out. That’s why they bump their heads on the cage, and it will crack because the cranium is so thin,” the Tarsier Man tells AFP. Later in the piece, a guide warns tarsier-loving tourists that “if you touch, they die. They are so very sensitive.”

Tarsiers have large bulging eyes, which close quickly for protection if large insect prey comes near. The eyes also face forward, providing binocular vision, an aid in catching insects at night. Their eyes do not move in their head, but they can turn their heads in a full half circle, like an owl.

Importance to the Ecosystem As predators, these tiny primates help to structure insect communities. Their feeding habits help to maintain part of the insect population. Although they are elusive, the extent that they are preyed upon by other animals may impact predator populations.

the blue whale
The largest animal poop in the natural world belongs to that of the blue whale. Each bowel movement of these enormous, magnificent creatures can be in excess of several hundred liters of excrement at a time!

North Atlantic right whales have the largest testicles in the animal kingdom. They can exceed 900 kg, which corresponds to about 2% of the animal’s total weight. Harbour porpoises have nothing to be ashamed of either: during the mating season, the testicles of males swell to represent 5% of their body weight.

The tarsier is a tiny primate with a whole bunch of unique characteristics, and a fossil history that dates back 50 million years. It is a spectacular looking little animal, with enormous eyes, a delicate, elf-like nose and a sweet grin. They have expressive hands and fingers, and freakishly long hind legs folded up under their bellies.

Tarsier Predators and Threats. Due to the small size of the Tarsier, they are preyed upon by numerous animal species in the surrounding forest including cats, birds of prey, large snakes and small carnivores depending on the region in which they live.

The tarsiers eyes are bigger than their brain,and their stomach

Description of the Tarsier. The appearance of tarsiers varies between the species, but all are relatively similar with a small, stocky body, and long tail that either has a tuft of fur at the end, or is sparsely covered.