The tarsier monkey is different from most primates for a variety of reasons. The most prominent attribute is its size. The tarsier monkey is one of the smallest primates in the world. The other notable feature is its large eyes. It looks like the tarsier’s eyes are about to pop out of its head! But let’s be honest, how cute are they? I know you’re thinking you just want to take one home and keep it forever. You’re not alone.
Being just 10-15cm in length, the tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world. Being this small allows them to hang onto branches without breaking them, making them good arboreal mammals. Their long hind limbs – twice as long as their body – make it possible for them to jump from tree to tree. Even one day after their birth, they can already climb trees.
The thing that stands out about these animals are their large eyes. In fact, their eyes are the size of their brain, about 16mm around. Despite its large eyes, the tarsier is nocturnal. They feed on mainly insects at night; however, they have been known to prey on snakes, lizards, birds, and bats.
An interesting thing scientists have discovered about the tarsier is that their brains don’t work the same way as other primates. The way the brain is structured differently, and the connections between parts of the brain differ from those of other primates. Neurologists believe that this characteristic, along with some evidence from the fossil record, indicate that the tarsier arose in an early and independently line of primate evolution.
These South Asian primates may be small, but they are still interesting species of primates. Their numbers in the wild are dwindling, but conservation efforts are being made to try and preserve what is left of them. So far, few conservation efforts have been successful; however, the Tarsier Research and Development Center is a semi wild enclosure that is the most successful conservation effort for these animals. In 2008, the tarsier was put on the 25 most endangered primates list. Hopefully, with future efforts we will be able to keep these cute little fur balls around.