TARSIER (TARSIUS SPECTRUM) Tangkoko Park, Tangkoko Birding, Birdwatching Tangkoko, Tangkoko Mammal's

TARSIER / TARSIUS

One of the most remarkable sounds of the forest is produced by the diminutive Spectral tarsier. Their ear-piercing cries defy the size of the animal; adult tarsier weight little more than 100 grams, placing them among the world’s smallest primates. The enormous size of the eyes, sensitive ears that move independently of one another, large needle-sharp teeth, and an extraordinary capacity to rotate their head nearly 180°, indicate the tarsier’s nocturnal, predatory habits and impart a gremlin-like character. Hind limbs, twice the length of their head and body combined, provide the power behind their famous leaps. The second and third does are equipped with long, decurved talons, called toilet claws, used for grooming while the other toes and the long, slender fingers bear ordinary nails.

Tarsier is considered to be primitive primates and biologist categorizes them somewhere the monkeys and the prosimians, another primarily nocturnal group of primates that includes the bush-babies of Africa and the lemurs of Madagascar. As a group, tarsiers are unusual in their distribution because they are found on both sides of Wallace’s Line, the artificial boundary that marks the division between the Eurasian and Australasian fauna. This is an indication of the tarsiers’ long residence in the region, possibly going back more than 40 million years. The T. spectrum, however, is restricted to Sulawesi and small adjacent islands.

Tarsiers are territorial, defending areas from neighboring groups and possible intruders. Territorial boundaries are marked with urine and occupancy is announced every morning and evening as males and females sing their hunting duets. Although most territories are defended by a monogamous pair and their offspring, there is considerable variation in group size and composition, with some groups containing more than one breeding adult female. Sleeping trees are central to the life of a tarsier and all tarsier territories contain at least one sleeping site. Bamboo thickets, vines tangles, and hollow trunks are used as sleeping sites but the most favored spots are the intertwined roots of large strangler figs.

After leaving a sleeping site, typically 10-20 minutes after sunset, the group spends a few minutes interacting before members leap off in different directions. Males use an area as large as 4 ha while females occupy much smaller ranges of around 1-2 ha.

In North Sulawesi, tarsier births tend to occur in May and November. Tarsiers give birth to a single, fully furred and open-eyed young after 180 days gestation. At birth, the infant weights almost one-quarter as much as its mother and for several weeks are carried around in the mother’s mouth like a kitten. While hunting, the female often “parks” her young on a branch communicating with soft clicks and whistles.

Tarsiers are insectivorous and spend over 50% of their night chasing insects. They take arthropods including ants, beetles, moths, and cockroaches. Prey is caught by leaping at it and pinning it down or trapping it in the cage of their long, slender fingers. An occasional lizard or gecko may be taken but this is rare. The meal of choice is most likely a caterpillar or grasshopper.

North Sulawesi is one of the best places in the world to see tarsiers. Although rare outside parks and reserves, because of habitat loss and being hunted for pets, they are abundant within protected areas where they appear to find a safe sanctuary. In the Tangkoko Nature Reserve, tarsiers occur at densities high as 82/km².  Do you have an interest in this beautiful primate? We organize a custom trip to watch or photograph this wonderful Tarsier with other wildlife in Sulawesi and North Sulawesi. Please do not hesitate to contact us and join us to capture this unique primate in Tangkoko. Our team will be 24 hours ready to receive your call or your email. Our services are ranged from medium to high category in lodging and meals depending on your needs.