Ten facts about tarsiers
- All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show more or less activity during the daytime.
- Tarsiers are small-sized animals with eyes as large as their brain size. Each of the eyes measures around 16 mm in diameter.
- Unlike many nocturnal animals, however, tarsiers lack a light-reflecting area (tapetum lucidum) of the eye. They also have a fovea, which is atypical for nocturnal animals.
- Tarsiers have very soft, velvety fur, which is generally buff, beige, or ochre in color.
- Tarsiers are known to be nocturnal animals, though they are also seen to be active during the day. While these animals primarily feed on insects, they also prey on small animals such as rodents, reptiles and birds. Tarsiers catch the prey by pouncing on them and they are very adept at leaping from tree to tree.
- Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primate on Earth: they are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them.
- The fur is generally brown or beige in color. The elongated fingers are dark brown in color and bear a twig-like appearance.
- An interesting fact to note about tarsier is that the animal can rotate its head nearly 360 degrees. Along with its large eyes, this trait helps the tarsiers to spot any oncoming predators with ease.
- Gestation takes about six months, and tarsiers give birth to single offspring.
- Since tarsiers comprise of endangered species, conservation efforts initially focused on forming breeding colonies for them, by keeping them in captivity. However, these animals are known to injure themselves when caged and can even die due to stress.
