Minahasa Raya Net
Tarsius
(Tarsius spectrum)
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Tarsius |
| Taxonomy and nomenclature: | ||
| Local name | : Tarsius, Tangkasi | |
| Indonesian name | : Tangkasi | |
| English name | : Spectral tarsier, Sulawesi Tarsier | |
| French name | : Tarsier des Célèbes | |
| Scientific name | : Tarsius spectrum | |
| Genus | : Tarsius | |
| Family | : Tarsiidae | |
| Order | : Primates | |
| Class | : Mammalia | |
| Phylum | : Chordata | |
| Kingdom | : Animalia | |
Pictures: |
By: |
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| 1. Climbing a tree | Rob Sinke c/o Benteng Beach and Jungle Resort | |
| 2. In a hole | Indonesian tourism office | |
| 2. Tarsius' eyes | Indonesian tourism office |
Physical |
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| - The smallest primate in the world | ||
| - Tarsius has large eyes and large ears that are mobile. | ||
| - Length of body | : 12.5 cm | |
| - Length of tail | : 24 cm | |
| - Weight of adult | : 120 gr (male), 110 gr (female) | |
| - Weight at birth | : 20 - 25 gr | |
| This species lacks a tapetum lucidum in the eyes, found in nocturnal animals. The spectral tarsier has a special adaptation in its neck vertebrae to help it turn its head 180 degrees. It needs to do this because its eyes cannot move. The spectral tarsier has a dental formula of 2:1:3:3 on the upper jaw and 1:1:3:3 on the lower jaw. This species has relatively small upper canines. It receives its name from the elongated tarsus bone. The tail of this species is naked except for the last half to third, which has long hair, and on the end there is a tuft of hair. This species has two grooming claws on each foot. | ||
Reproduction: |
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| - Gestation period | : 180 days | |
| - Young per birth | : 1 | |
| - Season for giving birth | : November, December | |
Behavior: |
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| Tarsius spectrum is crepuscular (active in the twilight) and nocturnal. It is famous for its leaping abilities; it is able to cross gaps of up to 6 m (20 ft). The basic group of tarsius is made up of the mated pair and their offspring. However they sleep in groups. This species is also found in polygynous groups. In polygynous groups all adult females of the group give birth. Pairs are territorial, chasing other conspecifics out of their home range. Females will stay in their groups until they are adults, while males will emigrate when they are still juveniles. In this species the mother will park her infant in the tree in which she is foraging, and this occurs when the infants are between the ages of 3 and 6 weeks. |
Life cycle: |
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| - Life span: about 8-12 years. |
Threats and Predators: |
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| - Feral cats - Python (Python reticulatus or Python molurus) - Loss of habitat (primaliry human-induced) |
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Habitat: |
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| Sulawesi, Indonesia: primary and secondary forests, coastal forests, and mangrove forests. |
Population: |
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| In 1986 there were estimated to be 14.1 million tarsiers occupying 70,730 square kilometres (a density of 200 per square kilometre). |
Diet: |
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| Ants, beetles, cockroaches, scorpions, lizards, bats, snakes, birds, small mammals and others. | |
Conservation status: |
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| - lower risk (IUCN Red Data Book, 2000) - Appendix II (CITES) - Protected animal under Indonesian law |
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Sources:
- IUCN Red Data Book
- Biodiversity Conservation Project
- CITES
- Parker Sybil. P.: Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals,
McGraw-Hill, New York. 1990.
- Macdonald, Dr. David, ed. 1987. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Facts on File
Publications, New York.
- MacKinnon, J. and MacKinnon, K. 1980. The behavior of wild spectral tarsiers. International
Journal of Primatology. Vol. 1(4), 361-379.
- MacKinnon, K. The conservation status of nonhuman primates in
Indonesia. In Benirschke. 1986, pp. 99-126.
- The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web