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| The tarsier is named for its elongated tarsal bone, an adaptation which allows the fist sized tarsier to jump up to 5 meters. At an evolutionary scale, the tarsier is ancient, sharing both primate and prosimian characteristics. The tarsier is the only purely predatory primate and has evolved to be quite a unique and efficient insect predator with its long leaping ability, its ability to rotate its head 180 degrees, and its ability to move its ears in the direction of sound. The most notable adaptation are the tarsier's oversize eyes (the largest relative to body size of any animal) and its gecko-like finger tips which allow it to grip to nearly any surface. Research on tarsiers shows that they prefer early-mid successional tropical evergreen forests. Particularly selecting for areas with high densities of insects and small diameter perch sites with dense foliage cover. Large scale population estimates have not been attempted on the tarsier, but local opinion and the overall state of the potential habitat of the tarsier suggest that it is rapidly declining and possibly endangered. |
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