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Tarsier clinging to a tree

Tarsiers

A tarsier is a small primate, weighing around 150g. It has remarkably large eyes, each one the same size and weight as its brain. A tarsier's hindlimb length is the result of elongation of the foot's tarsal bones, unique among mammals. This clever adaptation gives it the longest hindlimbs of any mammal relative to body length, without loss of dexterity.

There are fewer than ten species of tarsier, all similarly adept at leaping and clinging. Once attached to tree they can be incredibly difficult to remove. Once widespread, tarsiers were once found in North America, Europe and Asia. Today their range is restricted to the forested archipelagos of southeast Asia.

Scientific name: Tarsius

Rank: Genus

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Distribution

The Tarsiers can be found in a number of locations including: Asia. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Tarsiers distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Rainforest Rainforest
Rainforests are the world's powerhouses, the most vital habitats on the planet. Characterised by high rainfall, they only cover 6% of the Earth across the tropical regions, but they contain more than half of its plant and animal species.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

When they lived

Discover the other animals and plants that lived during the following geological time periods.

About

Tarsiers are haplorrhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all the species living today are found in the islands of Southeast Asia.

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Classification

  1. Life
  2. Animals
  3. Vertebrates
  4. Mammals
  5. Primates
  6. Tarsiidae
  7. Tarsiers

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