Nocturnal predator tarsier habitat. Tarsiers animals

Tarsier (Tarsier, lat. Tarsius) is a small mammal from the order of primates, very specific appearance which created a somewhat ominous halo around this small animal weighing up to one hundred and sixty grams.

So, indigenous people Indonesia and the Philippine Islands had an absurd connection appearance tarsier with the tricks of evil spirits. However, many of our contemporaries, who see the tarsier for the first time in its native habitat, remain amazed by its non-standard appearance.

Particularly impressionable tourists even say that the first time they see huge shining eyes looking at them without blinking, and the next moment the animal turns its head almost 360 degrees and you look straight at the back of its head, you become, to put it mildly, uneasy. By the way, local aborigines still believe that the head tarsier exists separately from the body. Well, this is all speculation, of course, but the facts are obvious!

They have been known as a separate species for a long time, but previously they were mistakenly classified as a suborder of prosimians, although in given time Based on a number of characteristics, they are classified as dry-nosed monkeys. The ancestors of tarsiers are called mammals from the family Omomyidae, which, however, did not exist for so long and became extinct in the Oligocene.

There are about eight species of tarsier. The most common are the Bankan and Philippine tarsier, as well as a separate species - the ghost tarsier. These mammals live in the territory Southeast Asia, the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines, as well as in surrounding areas.

Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) - owner the biggest eyes(in proportion to body size) among mammals, listed for this in Guinness Book of Records. This is a small animal of brown or brown-gray color, depending on the area of ​​distribution. The body length is from 10 to 15 centimeters, which is comparable to a child’s hand. The weight of a male is about 134 grams, a female is about 117 grams

The tarsier's limbs are long and thin, they are equipped with claws, some of which resemble fingers. When moving, they usually do not use four limbs at once, although they can jump perfectly. The hind legs are strong, which is why tarsiers can cover considerable distances in a jump.

In nature, tarsiers live in pairs or small groups of eight to ten individuals. Lead night look life, and feed exclusively on food of animal origin - insects and small vertebrates.

The gestation period for tarsiers is quite long (about 6 months); the baby is born in a well-developed state. First, it attaches itself to the mother's stomach, or she carries it by taking it by the scruff of the neck with her teeth. After seven weeks he moves from milk to meat food. Puberty young tarsiers reach the age of one year. The oldest known tarsier had a lifespan of 13 years (in captivity).

The main threat to tarsiers is the destruction of their living environment. Additionally, they are still hunted for their meat. Attempts to tame tarsiers and make them into pets are not successful and usually lead to the death of the animal through short time. Tarsiers cannot get used to captivity; in attempts to escape, they often break their heads on the bars of their cages.

Peter Arnold Inc.

The Philippine tarsier (prosimian) is a big-eyed primate belonging to the Loriidae family.

Appearance

The tarsier looks very cute. Tiny in height, no more than 15 cm, this baby will easily fit on the hand of an adult. The body is covered with hair, especially the back and head; the body length of the prosimian is from 10 to 17 cm. The belly and armpits are smooth.

The tarsier's fur color ranges from gray to brown. The limbs are webbed and have rounded toes, reminiscent of frog legs. The hind legs are longer than the front ones. The tail looks like a rat's, only there is a tassel at the end.

Philippine tarsier on a tree

Tarsier weighs no more than 160 grams. Their muzzle is flattened and wide. The mouth on the face is noticeable, V-shaped. Ears without vegetation, round, mobile. You can recognize him by his huge disproportionate eyes, which also glow in the dark. The head rotates and the baby can look behind itself when turning 360 degrees. Tourists who have seen the miracle say that the sight is not a pleasant one.

Habitat

The Philippine tarsier animal lives in the South - eastern Asia. Interestingly, there is one species for each individual island. Previously, the animal population was found in Europe, North America. There are about 8 varieties in nature, but only three are distinguished:

• Living in the Philippines, on the islands (Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol).
• Bankansky in (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Banka, Serasan).
• I liked the ghost (Sulawesi, Salayar, Greater Sangihi and Pelenge).

Tarsier lifestyle

Family of prosimians are nocturnal, sleep lazily in trees during the day, like bats. And with the arrival of darkness, these are the most active creatures on the planet. They are constantly on the alert, their large eyes see perfectly in the dark, their ears catch movement like locators. The reaction speed is instant. Despite the charming external image, these wild animals are bloodthirsty hunters.

Nutrition and reproduction

Tarsiers feed exclusively on flesh. In action are:

• lizards;
• insects;
• spiders;
• bird eggs;

Tarsiers do not drink water, but lap it up like dogs. Due to their body structure, they can attack prey and jump several meters. They can feast on fish and crabs in the water.

Philippine tarsier photo

But locusts remain their favorite food. Philippine tarsiers can reproduce all year round, but more often this happens from November. Pregnancy lasts 6 months for the female, the newborn feeds breast milk up to 7 weeks, then begins animal food. Males do not participate in raising children.

Enemies

Their enemies are feathered predators that hunt mainly at night. These are owls. Feral cats can also attack. The tarsier is a tasty morsel and an easy prey due to its small height and weight. And of course a person.

The local population eats them, exterminating and reducing the population.

Tarsier prosimians communicate in nature using ultrasound, which the human ear cannot perceive. If in numbers, then about 70 kHz, but a person is only able to pick up 20 kHz. Local residents have a lukewarm attitude towards carnivorous little ones, because of rumors and superstitions, supposedly for a long time something with large glowing eyes ate small children at night.

By the way, scientists adhere to the hypothesis that Tarsiers appeared earlier than prosimians and are a transitional link between them and monkeys. The structure of the body is very similar to that of a human, there are no bones in the genitals.

Tarsier close up

Having three fingers with sharp claws, they use them as a comb. Life expectancy is short; the tarsier lives about 13 years in captivity. Because in limited conditions, pop-eyed babies reproduce reluctantly.

Since 1986, the Philippine tarsier has been listed as endangered on the International Red List. A natural reserve has been created in the Philippines, where there are all conditions for these tiny creatures to stay and reproduce.

It is difficult to meet them there; they live in trees, hiding from view in dense thickets of bamboo. Although they are not afraid of people and can make contact. If you are interested, we can suggest you read the article about. By the way, they look very similar.

A person's closest soul mates. After all, legends tell us that we descended from monkeys

Tarsier is a small animal, living on the Malay Archipelago, islands

Southeast Asia and the Philippine Islands. Tarsier cannot but leave indifferent, especially those who are not indifferent to wildlife. He is unique, few people are like him, his eyes always have a surprised look.

Tarsiers find their refuge in the jungle and bamboo thickets. Its fur is thick and gray-brown in color. The animal is very shy, and this is not strange, since the local population exterminates this species; it serves as food for them.

Body structure

The weight of the tarsier reaches from 70 to 150 grams. The body has a length of 8 to 16 cm. It has a tail 13-27 cm long, without hair, with a tassel at the end. Strong body, small neck, large head, long limbs, front legs shorter than hind legs. The muzzle is round with large rounded ears, sensitive to sounds, without fur covering.

Small nose. Huge eyes, motionless, enlarge when frightened. Since the tarsier is nocturnal, the eyes must have good sensitivity, which is probably why they are so large.

Unlike the eyes, the neck is mobile and has the ability to rotate approximately 360 degrees, this gives quite good privileges - an extensive view, since the pupils are motionless. The eyes can reach a diameter of 20 cm, the orbit of the eye is protected by a bone, and one eye is larger than its brain.

Mouth is wide, the feeling that he is smiling slightly. The front incisors are large, similar to the teeth of primates - steel-small.

The tarsier's paws are thick and long. Thin, long fingers are distinguished, having seals at the tips, with small claws. The front paws are similar to human hands. Unlike other primates, tarsier is excellent; it stays vertically on trees better than anyone else, with the help of thick pads on its toes. As for the hind legs, they are characterized by lengthening the heel on the foot. When jumping, there is excellent support; the jump can reach 250 cm in length and 175 cm in height. If we take a closer look at this moment, we can understand how he succeeds: at the moment of the jump, he retracts his paws, reminiscent of a frog.

Tarsiers live in pairs or small groups. During the day it hides in hollows and crevices, less often with its paws caught on a branch. This is how he rests or sleeps, but at night he hunts. They don't go down to the ground.

What does it eat?

It feeds on insects and small vertebrates. Favorite delicacy is cricket. Disguising itself under branches, it looks out for the prey, seeing it, it immediately jumps and grabs the prey, after which it bites it, only then eats it. Tarsiers can communicate with each other using sounds similar to whistling.

Reproduction

Pregnancy in a female lasts 6 months. A single cub is born, dressed in fur, with open and seeing eyes. Weight about 24-25 grams, mouth 70 mm. The tail is up to 115 mm long. The newborn has claws, he grabs his mother’s warm belly with them. Eating milk. After birth, three days later, the baby can already move. Mom carries him with her teeth, holding him by the scruff of the neck. After 20 days, the cub will become more independent. The rest of the group's residents take part in raising the baby and help the parents, feed him, and bring him food.

The lifespan of tarsier in the wild is approximately 10 years. Tarsiers are listed in the Red Book.

A tiny animal living on several islands in the southern Philippine archipelago, it is an endemic and critically endangered primate species.

Tarsiers have lived on Earth for at least 45 million years, this is one of the oldest species animals in the Philippines. Once upon a time tarsiers were widespread in Europe, Asia and North America, but now they can only be found in remote corners of the planet.

Dimensions

Dimensions Philippine tarsier are small, the body of an adult animal (except for the tail) is no larger than the width of a human palm, about 100 mm. Tail tarsier longer than body. Average weight males - about 134 g, females - 117 g.

Description

The first thing that attracts attention in appearance tarsiers- disproportionately huge eyes, adapted for hunting in the night forest.

Round head tarsier can rotate more than 180 degrees in both directions, i.e. tarsier can easily look behind himself. The ears are also very mobile, almost always in motion.

U tarsier there are facial muscles on the “face”, it can change the expression of its cute little face, which makes the animal very “human”.

Fur tarsier thick and silky, grayish to dark brown in color. The long hairless tail is used for balance.

The toes on both the front and hind limbs are developed and very long. The ends of the fingers are flattened, forming pads designed for climbing tree branches. All fingers, with the exception of the second and third, have flat nails; the second and third have sharp claws, used by the animal when combing its fur. The fingers in the hand are not truly opposable, but when climbing tarsier covers the branch, extending the thumb.

The hind limbs are more developed, the ankles of the “legs” are elongated. Tarsier can jump sharply and far both in case of danger and when moving from tree to tree. The length of the jump can be several meters (and this is for such a baby)!

The dental formula is 2:1:3:3 in the upper jaw and 1:1:3:3 in the lower jaw with relatively small canines in the upper jaw.

If tarsier is very dissatisfied with something, he makes a very thin squeak. With the help of their voice, tarsiers can communicate, communicate the boundaries of their territories and call partners. Previously it was believed that tarsiers- “silent”, they use their voice much less often compared to other primates, but scientists from state university Humboldt (California, USA) made a small discovery. It turned out that when tarsier opens his mouth as if to yawn, in fact he screams, just so subtly that a person is not able to hear his squeak. The human ear perceives sounds up to 20 kHz, and tarsier“communicates” at frequencies averaging 70 kHz and is able to distinguish sounds with frequencies up to 91 kHz. Various animals are known whose voice lies in the area of ​​ultrasound; there are primates whose screams, in addition to the sound, may contain an ultrasonic part, but among primates tarsier- the only one who communicates in pure ultrasound, inaudible to humans.

Maximum recorded life expectancy Philippine tarsier- 13.5 years (in captivity).

Habitat

It lives on several islands of the Philippines: Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Mindanao and some small islands.

Prefers tropical forests with dense vegetation - trees, tall grass, bushes and bamboo shoots. It lives exclusively on the branches of trees, bushes and bamboo, descending extremely sharply to the ground.

Tarsiers- predominantly solitary animals, occasionally meeting each other at the intersections of properties. The territory of one individual covers about 6.45 hectares of forest for males and 2.45 hectares for females, density tarsiers with 16 males and 41 females per 100 hectares. Tarsier in a day it can cover up to one and a half kilometers, bypassing its territory.

Nutrition and role in the ecosystem

Tarsiers- active predators and, above all, insectivores, although they can eat small lizards, birds, etc. They are probably the only primates that feed exclusively on animal food. One per day tarsier eats insects, the total weight of which is 10% of own weight animal. That is tarsiers They play the role of “forest orderlies”; they are especially successful in dealing with locusts.

Tarsier can stun its prey with a jump. Catching an insect tarsier brings it to the mouth with one or two “hands”.

U tarsiers not very much natural enemies, this is, first of all, birds of prey(owls). The greatest damage to populations tarsiers, in addition to habitat loss, is caused by people (hunters) and feral cats.

Reproduction

In natural conditions, pairs were often observed tarsiers, which allowed some researchers to suggest that these animals are monogamous. According to other sources, a male can alternately meet with several females.

Pregnancy tarsiers lasts quite a long time, about 6 months. The only cub is born in a well-developed state. First, it attaches itself to the mother's stomach, or she carries it by taking it by the scruff of the neck with her teeth. In a female tarsier several pairs of nipples, but when feeding the baby, only the breast pair is used. After seven weeks, he switches from milk to meat food. Less than a month after birth, the baby can jump. Tarsiers do not build nests for their young. Any participation of the male in raising and caring for the cubs is not documented. Puberty young tarsiers reach at the age of one year.

Names

Dolgopyatov so named for their disproportionately developed (“long”, i.e. long) hind limbs (“heels”). This is consistent with Latin name animal - Tarsius(from tarsus - « ankle»).

For the first time Philippine tarsier described at the very beginning of the 18th century. Catholic missionaries and named Cercopithecus luzonis minimus(i.e. "tiny Luzon monkey"). Great classifier Carl Linnaeus, apparently understood the difference tarsier from a monkey and renamed the animal to Simia syrichta(“monkey sirichta”), a little later tarsier named by common name Tarsius syrichta(“tarsier of siricht”), this name has been preserved to the present day.

By its scientific Latin name Philippine tarsier sometimes called simply sirichta.

English name tarsier simply copies Latin. In unprofessional Russian-language translations from English, the name of the animal often appears in transliteration: tarsier or tarzier.

Local residents call tarsier variously: "mawmag", "mamag", "mago", "magau", "maomag", "malmag" and "magatilok-iok".

It is curious that the native tribes, to put it mildly, do not consider the meeting with maomag especially desirable, it can bring misfortune. Tarsiers They are considered by them as pets of forest spirits and any harm accidentally or intentionally caused to the animals can bring the wrath of the powerful owners of the forest upon people.

Classification

ABOUT tarsiers One thing can be said with confidence - this is, of course, primates, i.e. they belong to the same biological order as Human, monkeys And prosimians.

Dolgopyatov often called both "lemurs" and "monkeys". Which of the names is correct? Previously, scientists identified among primates prosimians(the most famous representatives are just lemurs) And " real monkeys" U tarsiers there are signs of both, they are like a transitional link from prosimians to monkeys, the Great Soviet Encyclopedia says about this:

“...with their lemurs [ tarsiers] is similar in the presence of claws on the 2nd toe of the hind limbs and the weak development of the cerebral hemispheres (they do not cover the cerebellum), and with monkeys - a rounded skull and eye sockets, separated from the temporal cavity by a bony septum...”

Moreover, some signs (the structure of the teeth or intestines) are not characteristic at all modern primates, i.e., judging by them, tarsiers older than prosimians.

For a long time, tarsiers were classified as “underdeveloped” prosimians, they were very similar in appearance and habits to some lemurs from the island Madagascar. But this classification is already outdated.

Now among primates they distinguish wet-nosed monkeys(which included almost all prosimians - lemurs And lori) And dry-nosed monkeys(which includes the actual monkeys And Human). So here it is tarsiers now “promoted” and classified as more developed dry-nosed monkeys.

That is, now to the question “ lemur or monkey"We can confidently answer that tarsier lemur never been, but monkey can be conditionally called (with the caveat that in the “old” classification there remains prosimian).

Who to count tarsier- the question of the boundaries of biological systematics is an open and very complex question. It would be more correct to say that tarsiers- This tarsiers, not monkeys or lemurs (or both monkeys and prosimians at once), animals that break conventions.

But, nevertheless, we present the complete scientific classification Philippine tarsier in the Linnaean hierarchy:

Rank	Name	Latin name	Note
view	Philippine tarsier	Tarsius syrichta	one of at least three species in the genus
genus	Tarsiers	Tarsius	the only genus in the family
family	Tarsier	Tarsiiformes	one of three families in the suborder
suborder	Dry-nosed monkeys	Haplorhini
squad	Primates	Primates
infraclass	Placental	Placentalia
subclass	Viviparous mammals (true animals)	Theria
Class	Mammals	Mammalia
superclass	Quadrupeds	Tetrapoda
group (infratype)	Ghostostomes	Gnathostomata
subtype	Vertebrates	Vertebrata
type	Chordata	Chordata
subsection (supertype)	Deuterostomes	Deuterostomia
chapter	Bilateral (Bilaterally symmetrical)	Bilateria
sub-kingdom	Eumetazoans (true multicellular organisms)	Eumetazoa
kingdom	Animals	Animalia
superkingdom	Eukaryotes (Nuclear)	Eukaryota

Speaking about theories of kinship and origin of species, it is impossible to ignore the 1916 hypothesis proposed by Professor Frederick Wood Jones (Frederic Wood Jones, 1879-1954), according to which man did not originate from great apes, and from the ancients tarsiers, and great apes are closer to to the lower apes than to a person. " Tarsial hypothesis"(from the Latin name of the animals - Tarsius) comes from the following features:

• vertical position of the body when moving along a horizontal surface (could be the basis of human upright posture)
• tarsier body proportions ( short arms and long legs) are close to those of humans (all great apes long arms and short legs)
• the nature of the arrangement of hair currents (hair direction) in tarsier and humans are similar (in monkeys they are significantly different)
• shortened facial part of the skull
• there are no bones in the penis and clitoris
• proximity of the structure of the collarbones and some muscles
• etc.

Modern scientists completely reject " tarsial theory", but do not exclude that from primitive tarsiers During the Eocene era, monkeys of the Old and New Worlds arose (independently), and among the former, man appeared. That is tarsier remains among our ancestors.

Subspecies

Researchers from Tarsier Center There are several subspecies Philippine tarsier: Tarsius syrichta syrichta on the islands of Leyte and Samar, Tarsius syrichta fraterculus in Bohol and Tarsius syrichta carbonarius in Mindanao.

Relatives

As can be seen from the classification, the closest relatives Philippine tarsier can only be found among tarsiers.

Best known tarsier ghost (eastern tarsier, Tarsius spectrum or Tarsius tarsier), this is the first tarsier, with whom European scientists met, in honor of him tarsiers, in fact, are named tarsiers. Ghost Tarsier larger than the Philippine, with even more developed hind limbs (“long”, i.e. long “heels”) and with a tail ending in a tassel. Ghost Tarsier lives on the islands Sulawesi, Big Sangihi And Pelenge.

Also distinguished as a separate species bankansky(western) tarsier(Sumatra, Kalimantan and adjacent islands).

Within these three types tarsiers(Filipino, eastern and western) different authors can distinguish independent species. In some classifications there are up to eight species of tarsier.

Security

Tarsiers are protected by both international and local legislation; since 1986, this species has been assigned the status “ endangered».

Among other things, the purchase and sale of tarsiers. Tourists need to pay attention to this: the animals are really very cute, not shy, and they want to have tarsier as a pet is quite understandable. However, by purchasing an animal, you violate strict laws regarding punishment and endanger the life of yourself. tarsier: maintaining it at home is extremely difficult (take, for example, an uninterrupted supply of insects).

Some consolation may come from soft toys that reproduce tarsiers in natural scale.

Steps are currently being taken to preserve and restore natural environment habitat tarsiers.

Founded in 1997 on the island of Bohol in Tagbilaran Fund Philippine Tarsiers (Philippine Tarsier Foundation Inc., www.tarsierfoundation.org). The Foundation acquired an area of ​​7.4 hectares in the department of Corella in the province of Bohol, where it created Tarsier Center. About a hundred are being held behind a high fence at the Center. tarsiers, feeding, breeding and demonstration of animals to visitors is carried out. Tarsiers are free to leave the territory of the Center, which some of them do at night, climbing over the fence into the neighboring forest, returning in the morning.

The question is being raised about purchasing an additional 20 hectares for expansion security zone and further restricting tourists’ access to the animals.

Where can you see the tarsier?

Meet tarsier in natural conditions it is extremely difficult: small animals are nocturnal and do not gather in flocks.

It is much easier to see them in captivity or specialized breeding centers. A visit to such a center is included in the standard excursion program with a visit to the Loboc River ( Loboc) on the island of Bohol.

Records

Philippine tarsier sometimes called the smallest primate. This is not true, the smallest primates are mouse lemurs from the island of Madagascar.

Also called the smallest monkey in the world. This statement is closer to the truth if we remember that tarsiers assigned to the suborder dry-nosed monkeys. But it remains controversial, because... tarsiers continue to count at the same time prosimians, not counting among " real monkeys" Among the “real” ones, the smallest is considered to be one of the marmosets - marmosets, whose sizes are comparable, but still slightly larger than those of tarsier.

They say that tarsier the most big eyes in relation to head and body size for all mammals. It's hard to say for sure, but this statement is very likely to be true. At least the Guinness Book of Records is sure of this.

U tarsiers the slowest growing embryos among mammals. About 6 months pass before birth, and during this time the embryo gains weight of only 23 grams (!).

Eye weight tarsier more weight brain.

Videos

Tiny but very cute tarsier animals live on the islands of Southeast Asia, the Philippine Islands and the Malay Archipelago. These fluffy lumps are sure to please all lovers.

He is so unusual and looks at us so amazingly, as if we were the exotic ones, and not he himself. Animals are hiding in the jungle and bamboo thickets. The animal's thick, silky fur is gray-brown.

They are trusting, curious, and at the same time very timid. The local population mercilessly exterminates them to eat. It's strange, because tarsiers are so small.

The animal weighs from 80 to 150 grams, and the body length is from 8 to 16 cm. They have long tail(13 – 27cm), not covered with hair, only a tassel at the end. A dense body, a short neck, a large head and long limbs, with the hind legs being much larger than the front legs.

The round face has large, rounded ears that constantly move in response to the sounds of nature; they are not covered with fur. The nose is small, but the eyes... They are simply huge for a tarsier. The eyes are motionless, and when the animal is frightened they seem even larger and bulging. Since he is nocturnal, his eyes must see well in the dark, which is why they are so large. This is an adaptation to poor light.

His neck is movable and can rotate almost 360 degrees, please, you also have an extensive view, since the pupils are motionless. The diameter of the eye can reach 20 cm, and the orbit of the eye is protected by bone. One eye is bigger than his brain. The animal's mouth is wide, it seems that it knows how to smile. The front incisors are large and similar to primate teeth. The remaining teeth are small.

The animal's paws are plump and long. The long ones are especially distinguished thin fingers with compaction at the tips and small claws. The forelimbs resemble a human hand. This baby is the best among primates to stay upright on a tree, thanks to its thickening - the pads on its fingers.

The hind legs of the animal are interesting due to the highly prominent and elongated heel on the foot. An excellent repelling support when jumping, which can reach a length of 250 cm and a height of 175 cm. But how does he manage to do this, because he is so small? At the moment of jumping, the paws extend, it looks like.

They live in pairs or small groups. During the day they hide in crevices and hollows, less often they sit with all their paws clinging to a branch. So they rest or sleep, and at night they go hunting. They don't go down to the ground.They eat insects and small ones. My favorite food is cricket. Invisible hunters sit on a branch, carefully looking out for the prey, then with lightning speed they make a leap and grab the prey. First the hunter bites her, and then eats her. They are able to communicate with each other using sounds similar to whistling.

In the female, pregnancy lasts six months. One cub will be born, with open and seeing eyes, dressed in fur. Its weight is about 25 grams and its height is 70 mm. The tail is long even in a born baby - up to 115 mm. The baby has claws with which he grabs his mother’s warm belly. Feeds on milk. Already three days after birth, the cub can move.

Mom carries it with her, and, if necessary, carries it with her teeth, holding it by the scruff of the neck. 20 days will pass, and the baby will be more independent. By the way, the rest of the group’s residents help his parents raise their little offspring. They even feed him, bringing him delicious food.