He is also a tarsier, 7 letters per t. Description of the appearance of a tarsier

Do the superstitions of local residents help protect rare animals, or, on the contrary, hinder this process? It is quite difficult to answer unequivocally. Sometimes they interfere, and sometimes they help. And if in the first case these superstitions should be fought, then in the second it is better to leave everything as it is. Because it will help save endangered species.

Methods of nature conservation can be very diverse and sometimes, needless to say, original. However, all organizations involved in this noble cause agree that without widespread involvement of local residents in the process, it is unlikely that anything will happen. That is why their members carry out educational activities among the population, the effectiveness of which was proven by the work of Gerald Durrell (read more about this in the article “Secrets of Gerald Durrell”). However, sometimes animal activists do not have to fight local superstitions about animals or plants, but, on the contrary, encourage them.

A very illustrative example of such a strategy is the history of tarsier conservation ( Tarsius). This genus of ancient and fascinating primates includes four species: the western tarsier ( T.bancanus), otherwise called bankan, Philippine tarsier ( T.syrichta), eastern tarsier ( T.spectrum), also known as the ghost tarsier, and the pygmy tarsier ( T.pumilus). These animals are common in tropical forests Philippines, as well as on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and many other islands of the Indonesian archipelago.

Previously, tarsiers were classified as a group of prosimians ( Prosimiae) and were considered relatives of African lemurs ( Lemuriformes) and galago ( Galagonidae), as well as Asian lorises ( Loridae). However, recent studies of their DNA have shown that these creatures have nothing in common with them. Their closest relatives are those who were previously called true monkeys, but are now classified as dry-nosed monkeys ( Haplorrhini), while the above groups belong to the ancient, or wet-nosed monkeys ( Strepsirrhini). That is, the tarsier turned out to be much closer to you and me than, for example, the funny ring-tailed lemur (remember King Julian from Madagascar?).

Paleontological data show that tarsiers appeared approximately 50 million years ago. Their ancestors lived in eastern Eurasia and North America. Apparently, their lifestyle was not much different from that led by modern representatives of the group - these small, active animals lived alone, in pairs or in small groups in trees, slept during the day, and hunted for insects and small vertebrates at night.

Gradually, various arboreal rodents, insectivorous birds and more highly developed primates that appeared later displaced the timid, timid and, frankly, quite primitive tarsiers from a large area of ​​their former range. That is why, to this day, they have survived only on those islands where their competitors were never able to reach. So by the time humans settled them, the tarsier was already a rather rare animal. Nevertheless, it was people, oddly enough, in some places that helped it survive and even increase its numbers.

Most likely, the tarsier was helped by his very original appearance. These animals, whose body length is only 9-16 centimeters (add here a 28-centimeter hairless tail), have long hind limbs, a large head that can rotate almost 360 degrees, extremely long fingers and large, round and completely hairless ears. . All this makes the tarsier look like some kind of surreal Cheburashka. But the most noticeable thing about this primate is its huge eyes, more than two centimeters in diameter. So, those who meet him at night will see them first (by the way, they still glow yellow).

It is not surprising that, having such an extraordinary appearance, the tarsier immediately became an object of veneration for many local tribes. Some tribes living in the Philippines consider these animals to be the spirits of their ancestors. Others are pets of the forest gods. Accordingly, in both cases it is not recommended to offend these animals - otherwise supernatural forces will be angry not only with the blasphemer, but also with all his relatives and friends.

Therefore, the inhabitants of the Philippines not only do not touch the tarsier themselves, but also punish tourists and poachers who try to catch these cute and harmless animals (which, by the way, do not tolerate captivity very well, since they do not tolerate bright light and loud sounds). Sometimes it even comes to killing “black trappers” at the crime scene. Of course, this is not good, but, whatever one may say, it helps a lot to protect this very rare animal. So you can be completely calm about the fate of tarsiers living next to those who idolize them. By the way, according to American zoologists, their numbers in these areas have recently increased significantly.

However, in some places, tarsiers, on the contrary, are afraid. A number of Indonesian peoples consider the tarsier to be a werewolf, whose head can separate from the body and attack people (something like the Japanese roku-kubori). However, this also contributes to its protection - frightened poachers and animal catchers try not to go to the places where this primate lives. And in some places in the Philippines they believe that a tarsier looking into a person’s eyes for a long time can send him into madness. The most interesting thing is that, oddly enough, there is some truth in this superstition.

In the 50s, one happened in the Philippines tragic story. A US Air Force soldier based there got lost in the jungle one night. After wandering through the forest for many hours, he lay down to rest. His awakening was nightmarish: sitting right in front of him was a ghost with a bared mouth and two fireballs instead of eyes. The man, distraught with fear, ran screaming and ran straight through the thicket. When the unfortunate man was found, he endlessly repeated one phrase: “These eyes! These eyes!” After examining the victim, it became clear that he had gone crazy (according to other sources, he died of a heart attack shortly after returning to base).

The authorities of this military base, in order to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, turned to zoologists for help. Having arrived at the site, they organized a series of lectures in which the soldiers were told about who the tarsiers were and why they should not be afraid of them. In order to collect visual material in the form of films and photographs, scientists spent a lot of time in the jungle, as a result of which they studied the lifestyle and all the habits of the Philippine tarsier. As a result, this also helped employees of environmental organizations - after all, when you know everything about an animal, it is much easier to protect it. So, as you can see, even negative superstitions help save tarsiers from extinction (by the way, Philippine tarsiers are listed in the International Red Book on the “green” sheets, that is, they are considered rare, but not endangered species).

Unfortunately, the superstitions of local residents are not always a “talisman” for rare animals. Sometimes the opposite situation happens. An example of this is the sad story of the persecution by local residents of a very rare lemur, whose name is the Madagascar hand-footed lemur, or aye-aye ( Daubentonia madagascariensis). The appearance of this animal is known to many - namely this species belongs to King Julian's advisor Maurice from the cartoon "Madagascar".

Aye-ayes live in the north of Madagascar in mountain or riverine forests. Just like tarsiers, they live in pairs or alone, sleep during the day and climb trees at night in search of insects. Interestingly, their main food is larvae hiding under the bark of trees, which the animals discover by tapping tree trunks with their large middle finger of their front paws. They also take out the food they find.

It turns out that ecologically they play the role of woodpeckers that are absent on the island, only instead of a beak they use what the local population believes is their “magic” finger. So aye-aye can safely be called forest orderlies. However, people living in Madagascar do not respect them at all for such activities (like we do woodpeckers), but on the contrary, they do not like them at all. Because they believe that the little hands are spirits of death and any of their appearance near the village leads to the death of one of the residents.

It is not surprising that aye-aye used to be exterminated wherever they were found. They would have destroyed everyone, but scientists and animal activists intervened in time. Currently, large-scale educational work is being carried out in Madagascar, during which residents are explained that these animals are not only harmless, but, on the contrary, very useful. By the way, the origins of this activity were the same Gerald Durrell, who visited Madagascar in the early 90s of the last century.

His expedition captured six aye-ayes, which were transported to the Jersey Zoo, where they became the founders of the now large reserve population of these rare animals. However, while working to catch the animals, Darrell and his assistants gave lectures to local residents, showed them films about little arms and in every possible way convinced them not to kill these cute and funny animals. Afterwards, such propaganda of the “harmlessness of aye-aye” was supported by the island government. As a result, now things are not so bad with the bat - by 1994, when their extermination was stopped, there were already about a thousand of these animals in the wild. And until now, their numbers are constantly growing (in addition, there are approximately 300 bats in various reserve populations in zoos and research centers).

One of the most amazing creatures are tarsiers that live in the Philippines. Having looked at him, it’s already difficult to look away from something else until you really admire this monkey. This creature is the smallest of all primates. His height is measured in several centimeters. An adult reaches only 16 centimeters. It usually weighs no more than 160 grams.

Appearance of the animal

The Philippine tarsier has the most attractive eyes. In addition to their huge size, they are able to glow in the dark. It is because of this ability that the locals nicknamed the baby the “ghost tarsier.” No other mammal has such large eyes when compared to their ratio to the head. But this is not the only one large part monkey's body. This small animal has features that complement the amazing image of the baby. The animal's muzzle has a slightly flattened appearance, unlike other primates, because of this its sense of smell is not very well developed. The tarsier's brain has relatively large volumes. The baby's fur is very soft and wavy to the touch. He takes care of it, combing it with the claws of his second and third fingers. Interestingly, other phalanges do not have claws. Tarsiers are grayish or dark brown in color.

Tarsier Abilities

The animal's paws are adapted for jumping and climbing trees. The forelimbs are slightly shortened, but the hind limbs are more elongated at the heel. Now it becomes clear where the name “tarsier” came from. The animal's fingers are equipped with pads, and their phalanges are so delicately made that they resemble a small hand. The primate's tail remains bald and ends in a tassel. He uses it like a balance beam while jumping. The size of this peculiar “rudder” exceeds the length of the body. It is also worth noting one feature that the Philippine tarsier has. The photo of the animal shown below shows that the baby’s facial muscles are well developed.

Thanks to them, the baby can make grimaces, like a real monkey. And his head can turn more than 180 degrees in order to see what is happening behind him.

Lifestyle

This animal is active at night. When dawn comes, he hides in bushes, small trees, bamboo or grass. This disguise allows you to hide from prying eyes. At night, the Philippine tarsier goes out in search of food. Ears and eyes adapted in a special way allow him to remain a good hunter. The animal's diet includes insects, worms, spiders and even small vertebrates. To get food into the mouth, the animal brings it by squeezing it with two paws. The tarsier moves mainly by jumping, although it can alternately move its legs and climb. He can cover as much as one and a half kilometers at a time! The tarsier can live 13 years, but this is in captivity.

Reproduction

Tarsiers are surprisingly territorial animals.

The area of ​​possession of one male can be 6 hectares; several females usually live in its open spaces, whose personal territory occupies only 2 hectares. When the time comes (in spring or autumn), the male visits all his ladies, after which they begin a long pregnancy. Over the course of six months, the unborn baby develops, which by the time of birth will weigh only 23 grams. The baby is born with its eyes already open, which is what distinguishes the Philippine tarsier from other primates. The photo above shows a mother and her baby. The father does not participate in the upbringing of his offspring. While the children are small, they are always with their nurse. They move by grabbing onto their mother's fur coat. At the moment when the baby begins to obtain food on its own, it goes in search of a separate territory.

Tarsier and man

Because of its unusual appearance, many would like to tame this tiny animal. Those who had such an opportunity tried to do this and became convinced that raising a personal pet from a baby is almost impossible, since they are wild animals. Small animals placed in a cage are trying to get out, and many have broken their heads, hitting the walls and trying to escape. Those lucky few who have adopted this primate noticed how diligently their animals fight insects - cockroaches and spiders. It is interesting to watch the animal when it starts to play. His muscles on his face create funny grimaces.

Extinction of a species

Now this small animal lives only on the island of Bohol. In this area there will be no more than 200 individuals, since the animal is dying at a high rate. The first main reason why the tarsier began to disappear is hunters. To catch the monkey, they cut down trees and strip away their branches. Out of fear, these little ones squeak thinly and change the expression of their faces. But poachers are not the only threat. Birds of prey love to feast on small animals and also hunt them.

What is being done to preserve the species

The local population treats tarsiers with care and is afraid of harming them, because they believe that they are pets of the spirits that live in their forest. People are sure that after causing harm to the baby, its invisible owner will take revenge for it. In addition, the Philippine tarsier this moment protected by international law. The sale and purchase of this animal is strictly prohibited. To save this rare view mammal, government on the island. Back in the 20th century, Bohol organized the creation of a center in which the animal’s safety was ensured. Arriving here, tourists have the opportunity to look at the tarsier with their own eyes and even take a photo of it.

Some interesting facts

Like every animal, these too have their own interesting features, about which it will be informative to read:

Previously, tarsiers were classified as an obsolete suborder of prosimians; today they are considered as one of the families of dry-nosed monkeys ( Haplorhini). In the Eocene and Oligocene, there was a family close to tarsiers called Omomyidae, whose representatives lived in Eurasia and North America. They are considered the ancestors of tarsiers.

Depending on your point of view, there are from three to eight species of tarsier. While five of them can be considered subspecies, the following have undisputed species status:

• bankan tarsier ( Tarsius bancanus)
• Philippine tarsier ( Tarsius syrichta)
• tarsier ghost ( Tarsius spectrum)

Spreading

Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia, primarily on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Philippines and many adjacent islands.

Characteristic

Tarsiers are small animals, their height ranges from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail with a length of 13 to 28 cm. Weight varies from 80 to 160 grams. They are especially distinguished by their long hind limbs, large head, capable of turning almost 360°, and good hearing. The fingers are extremely long, the ears are round and bare. The soft wool has a brown or grayish tint. However, the most noticeable feature is the large eyes, up to 16 mm in diameter. When projected onto human height, tarsier eyes correspond to the size of an apple.

Behavior

Philippine tarsier

Tarsiers are active primarily at night. They live in trees in forests, hiding during the day in dense vegetation. Tarsiers can climb trees very deftly and can also jump several meters with the help of their long hind legs. As a rule, tarsiers live in pairs, sometimes also in small groups.

Nutrition

Tarsiers' main diet is insects; in addition to them, they also eat small vertebrates. Tarsiers are the only primates that eat exclusively animal foods. They use their ability to jump to stun prey. In a day, tarsiers can eat food that makes up 10% of their weight.

Reproduction

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 switches from milk to meat food. Young tarsiers reach sexual maturity at the age of one year. The oldest known tarsier had a lifespan of 13 years (in captivity).

Tarsiers and people

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 unsuccessful and, as a rule, lead to the death of the animal after a short time. Tarsiers cannot get used to captivity; in attempts to escape, they often break their heads on the bars of their cages.

Tarsiers in culture and art

In the past, tarsiers played a large role in the mythology and superstition of the peoples of Indonesia. The Indonesians thought that the heads of tarsiers were not attached to the body (since they could rotate almost 360°), and were afraid to encounter them, because they believed that the same fate could happen to people in this case.

Filipinos considered tarsiers to be the pets of forest spirits.

In the anime series Animatrix in the episode "Accepted" (eng. Matriculated) tame tarsier Baby (eng. Baby) is used as an observer during the war between people and machines and is capable of connecting to a reality simulation program on a par with people.

Links

• Tarsiers in culture and art on the portal Philippines.RU

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Synonyms:

See what “Tarsier” is in other dictionaries:

Tarsier...

Noun, number of synonyms: 3 mammal (202) prosimian (16) primate (61) ... Synonym dictionary

- (Tarsius) an animal from the order of prosimians, Prosimiae, belonging to a special family, Tarsiidae, with a single genus Tarsius and with one so far firmly established species Tarsius spectrum Geoffr. Many structural features of D. give this animal... ... encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

tarsier- tardy, and... Russian spelling dictionary

Philippine tarsier Scientific classification Kingdom ... Wikipedia

Philippine tarsier Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals Type: Chordata ... Wikipedia

Tarsier ghost, tarsier ghost... Spelling dictionary-reference book

tarsier ghost- rytinis ilgakulnis statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Tarsius spectrum Celebes tarsier; Celebesian tarsier; dusky handed tarsier; eastern tarsier; yellow bearded tarsier vok. Celebes Koboldmaki rus … Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Tarsiers, or Tarsius, are a genus of primates that are divided into at least 3 species. Previously, they were classified as a suborder of prosimians, which is now considered obsolete; Currently, they are considered one of the families of dry-nosed monkeys (this also includes highly developed monkeys and humans).

The smallest primates got their name from the very long ankles - “heels” - on their hind limbs.

Scientists are divided on the number of species of tarsiers - some believe that there are three such species, while others believe that there are eight. In total, 11 species of tarsier are known, among them are the western tarsier, the eastern tarsier, the Philippine tarsier, the pygmy tarsier and the diana tarsier.

Tarsiers make a great impression on tourists. It is difficult to realize that there is an animal on earth whose head can turn 180 and even almost 360 degrees. There is something mystical and unreal about this.

Classification of tarsiers.

The Philippine tarsier was first described in the 18th century. It was described by Catholic missionaries and called a tiny monkey. Carl Linnaeus later discovered that the tarsier was different from marmosets and renamed it sirichtha monkey.

And even later, this name was supplemented by a generic name and turned into the tarsier siricht. This is what the Philippine tarsier is called to this day.

The islanders have many names for the tarsier, the most common being maomag or mago.

It is curious that tarsiers have characteristics of both lemurs (semi-primates) and true monkeys. In fact, they are a transitional link from lemurs to real monkeys.

They are related to lemurs poor development both hemispheres of the brain (they do not cover the cerebellum) and claws on the second toes of the hind legs, and with monkeys - eye sockets separated by a bony septum from the temples and a rounded skull.

But some features (the structure of the intestines or teeth) are not characteristic of modern primates at all, which indirectly indicates a more ancient origin tarsiers.

It seems that tarsiers have never been lemurs, but they may well be conditionally called monkeys. These are unique animals that break the usual classification of animals.

There is also a very interesting hypothesis put forward in 1916 by Professor Frederick Wood Jones. According to this hypothesis, man descended from ancient tarsiers, and not from great apes, as has hitherto been generally accepted. Here are the main provisions of the hypothesis:

· When moving along a horizontal surface, tarsiers hold their bodies vertically - this could become the basis for human upright posture.

· The body proportions of humans and tarsier are similar - their arms are shorter than their legs, while the opposite is true for apes.

· The direction of hair growth of tarsier and humans is also similar, which cannot be said about great apes.

The facial part of the skull is shortened

· The structure of the collarbones and some muscles are very similar in the tarsier and humans.

So the tarsier may well be our ancestor.

Habitat of tarsiers.

The tarsier's ancestors existed during the Eocene in North America and Eurasia, and it is one of the most ancient animal species in the Philippines, having existed for at least 45 million years.

Now their habitat has shrunk significantly and has been reduced to just a few islands.

Tarsiers are mainly island inhabitants of Southeast Asia; they can be found on the islands of Sulawesi, Sumatra, Borneo and other islands close to them.

Description appearance tarsier.

Tarsiers are quite small animals, up to a maximum height of 16 cm. The long, bare, sparsely haired tail varies in length from 13 to 28 cm and ends in a fluffy tassel. The weight of an average animal is from 80 to 160 g.

Males are larger than females, weighing on average 134g, while females weigh approximately 117g. The hind limbs are longer than the front ones and allow them to jump considerable distances, up to several meters, in case of danger.

The head is quite large compared to the length of the body and can rotate almost 360 degrees, the mouth is wide with thick lips, and the neck is short. Tarsiers have good hearing and a fairly large brain.

These are the only primates known to science that are able to communicate with each other using ultrasonic waves. They hear sounds with a frequency of up to 90 kHz and communicate at a frequency of about 70 kHz.

It has been noted that when the tarsier is dissatisfied with something, it makes a sound like a thin squeak. Tarsiers use their voice to mark the boundaries of their territories, call on partners, but in general they use their voice much less often than all other primates.

These cute animals have 34 teeth arranged vertically, the upper teeth are larger than the lower ones. They have funny, very long fingers on all their limbs, ending with thickened suction cups - this design of the fingers makes it easier for them to climb trees.

All fingers, except the second and third, end in flat nails, while the second and third have sharp claws, which small animals use to comb their fur. When climbing with its fingers, the tarsier clasps the branch, while extending its thumbs.

The ears are bare, round in shape, located in constant movement and also very mobile, like small locators; soft, pleasant to the touch wool of a grayish or brownish tint.

Their most noticeable feature is large round yellow or yellow-brown eyes up to 16mm in diameter. If you compare the length of their body with the length of the human body, then the size of their eyes will correspond to the size of an apple. Plus, they also glow in the dark.

Based on the ratio of eye size to head and body size, tarsiers are listed in the Guinness Book of Records. What is noteworthy is that the weight of the eye is greater than the weight of the brain.

There are facial muscles on the tarsier's face, so the expression of its face can change, which makes the small animal look like a person.

Tarsier lifestyle.

Tarsiers are most active at night - they are predominantly nocturnal primates. They live in trees, and during the day they hide among dense vegetation or in hollows, where, as usual, they sleep sweetly until the evening.

They climb trees very deftly and can also jump like grasshoppers. They use their tail to achieve balance, like little tightrope walkers. The denser the vegetation, the better for them. They almost never go down to the ground.

Tarsiers lead a solitary lifestyle; they can be separated by more than one kilometer in the wild; each of them has its own territory. One male usually occupies up to 6.45 hectares of forest, and a female - up to 2.45 hectares.

The density of animals per 100 hectares is usually 41 females and 16 males. In a day, a tarsier can easily cover a distance of one and a half kilometers while walking around its vast territory.

You can meet a male and a female only in mating season, on the full moon of December-January. But in special reserves, tarsiers can easily live in small groups.

Tarsier nutrition.

The basis of the tarsier's diet are representatives of the insect class, as well as small vertebrates (lizards) and even small birds. The uniqueness of these primates is also that they are the only primates who do not eat plant foods.

So small, but still predators. They use jumping to stun or stun their prey. Having caught an insect, they bring it to their mouth with one or two paws.

They can eat up to 10% of their body weight per day, i.e. from 8 to 16 g. Most of all they like locust types of insects; by dealing with them, the animals actually become “forest orderlies.”

Reproduction of tarsiers.

Tarsiers do not build nests for their young. Pregnancy in female tarsiers lasts up to 6 months; the calf is born fully developed, sighted and with good grasping reflexes; it weighs about 27 g at birth.

Tarsiers have the slowest developing embryo, which gains only 23 grams during intrauterine development! Having been born, the baby clings to the mother’s stomach, or the mother carries him by taking him by the scruff of the neck with her teeth.

And, although the female tarsier has several pairs of nipples, she uses only the breast pair to feed the baby.

Male tarsiers are not seen in raising and feeding the younger generation.

After seven weeks, the baby will finally switch to meat food. And in almost a month the cub will be able to jump. Young tarsiers become sexually mature by one year. Life expectancy in nature is unknown, but in captivity it is a maximum of 13 years - among those known to science.

Researchers presumably believe tarsiers to be monogamous primates, although this has not yet been proven.

Enemies of tarsiers.

The main enemy of tarsiers are people. By destroying their living environment and cutting down forests, people are depriving small primates of their habitat. Local residents also hunt them for their tasty meat.

All attempts to tame tarsiers ended in the death of the animals after a fairly short time. The kids cannot get used to captivity and often break their heads on the bars of the cage, trying to escape.

The Philippine tarsier is endemic, living on only a few islands in the Philippines and is currently in danger of extinction.

They also contribute to the extinction of tarsiers predator birds(owls) and wild cats.

This is why this species of primate was given the status of a critically endangered species in 1986. Dolgopyatov is protected by both local and international legislation; their purchase and sale is prohibited, which is very useful for tourists to know.

Do not try to buy this animal for yourself - you will not only break the law, but also endanger the life of a small animal, because it is quite difficult to provide it with an uninterrupted supply of insects. Better buy yourself a soft toy of a tarsier as a consolation.

In 1997, the Foundation was created to restore and preserve the natural environment to increase the number of tarsiers. Philippine Tarsiers in the province of Bohol. The Foundation acquired a territory of 7.4 hectares and created the Tarsier Center.

There, tarsiers are kept in conditions that are as similar as possible to their usual habitat, there are no predators, the animals are provided with food, and they are shown to visitors.

But if they wish, the animals can always climb over the fence; at night, some do so, and return back by morning.

Discussions are currently underway on the possibility of acquiring an additional 20 hectares of territory and limiting tourist access to the small primates.

The role of tarsiers in culture and art.

In past centuries, the peoples of Indonesia were afraid of tarsiers and created various myths about them. For example, due to the ability to rotate their heads almost 360 degrees, Indonesians believed that their heads were not attached to their bodies, and if they were encountered, the same thing would happen to a person.

Tarsiers managed to get into the movies - in the anime series "Animatrix" there is a tame tarsier Baby (Baby).

And now here is such an animal.

Tarsiers (Tarsius), the only genus of prosimians in the tarsier family (Tarsidae), the exact position of tarsiers in the taxonomy has not been determined. The genus includes three modern looking. In the Paleocene and Miocene of Europe and North America, tarsiers were widely represented.

Tarsiers How separate species have been known for a long time, but previously they were mistakenly classified as a suborder of prosimians, although at this 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.

Tarsiers are small animals; the length of the head and body is 8.5-16 cm, the tail is long (13.5-27 cm), naked, with a brush of hair at the end. Body weight 95-165 g. Large round head, wide and shortened muzzle, with very large eyes (diameter up to 16 mm, that is, only ten times smaller than the animal itself, which is also found only in cuttlefish). The head can rotate 180°. Tarsiers' eyes glow in the dark. The ears are large, bare and mobile. The mouth is wide.

Modern tarsiers are preserved in Southeast Asia, on the islands of the Malay Archipelago. These are the Philippine tarsier, or sirichta (Tarsius syrichta), the bankan tarsier (Celebes tarsier, western tarsier; Tarsius bancanus) and the ghost tarsier (maquis, eastern tarsier, Sunda tarsier; Tarsius spectrum). Each species is found only on certain islands. Thus, sirichta is found in the Philippines (the islands of Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Bohol); bank tarsier - on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bank, Serasan; tarsier-ghost - in Sulawesi, Salayar.

The ghost tarsier has the largest eyes relative to its body size of any mammal, yellow and glowing in the dark. Local residents consider these tarsiers to be sorcerers and are afraid of them. Ghost tarsiers live alone or in pairs, are nocturnal in tropical rain forests, usually in lowland and coastal areas, and are found in bamboo thickets, small trees or bleached primary forests.

Ghost tarsiers feed on insects, spiders, and lizards. They lap up water, just like lemurs. They love to hunt for crabs and fish.

Animals move in jumps up to 1 m long. They jump from branch to branch or from tree to tree, sometimes like frogs. The tail serves as a rudder during the jump. They often hunt in pairs, less often in threes or fours.

Ghost tarsiers breed regardless of the season of the year. After a six-month pregnancy, 1 cub is born, covered with fur, with open eyes. He immediately clings with all his limbs to the hair on his mother’s stomach, and can even climb branches on his own. During movement, the mother carries the cub with her mouth, like a cat carrying a kitten. Nothing is known about the lactation period and maturation of the cub. All tarsiers are listed in the International Red Book.

Tarsiers have lived on Earth for at least 45 million years, they are one of the oldest animal species 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

If tarsier is very dissatisfied with something, he makes a thin squeak. With the help of their voice, tarsiers can communicate, communicate the boundaries of their territories and call partners, but in general it is noted that tarsiers They use their voice much less often compared to other primates. Maximum recorded life expectancy Philippine tarsier— 13.5 years (in captivity).

Indigenous people Indonesia and the Philippine Islands associated the absurd appearance of the 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!