Philippine tarsiers: Getting to know the cute, googly-eyed animals
The Philippine tarsier is a nocturnal creature with a tiny body, big ears and even larger eyes.
Philippine tarsiers, found mostly in the southern Philippines, are considered to be the second smallest primate. According to the New England Primate Conservancy, their height ranges from 3.3 to 6.3 inches and male tarsiers weigh no more than 0.35 lbs while females are even lighter.
Their large googly eyes are the Philippine tarsier’s most notable feature. They can’t move their eyeballs since they’re fixed to its skull, according to the NEPC. To compensate, they’re able to move their neck 180 degrees in both directions. The Encyclopædia Britannica states their small brain has a big visual cortex to process all the information from their eyes.
The Philippine tarsier spends the night leaping ten to 15 feet between trees to hunt live prey, CNN reported in an article. They’ll hunt for crickets, small birds, beetles, lizards and frogs.
The Philippine tarsier “faces a triple threat to its existence: low birth rates, exploitative tourism and habitat destruction from logging and mining,” according to CNN.
Male tarsiers are incredibly territorial. If other males trespass into territory that isn’t their own, the two tarsiers will fight till death. Female tarsiers can only produce one baby a year. Gestation lasts for about six months and they care for the baby for another six months, teaching their offspring how to hunt and survive on its own.
Previously, Philippine tarsiers were openly caged so they were easily accessible to their captures when tourists wanted to hold or take pictures with the creatures. A National Geographic article highlights that Philippine tarsiers often commit suicide while caged. According to the article, “many captive tarsiers have died in a state of extreme stress as a result of banging their soft skulls against their cages and sustaining self-inflicted fatal injuries.”.
In 1997, the Philippine tarsier was declared a specially protected faunal species of the Philippines by the now former president Fidel V. Ramos. The proclamation states “the hunting, killing, wounding, taking away or possession of the Philippine Tarsier and the conduct of activities destructive of its habitats are hereby prohibited.”
The National Geographic article argues that the conditions for Philippine tarsiers have only slightly improved from not being in cages. Tourists still visit the tarsiers in conservation areas, disturbing the nocturnal creatures during the day with camera snaps and noise when the tarsiers should be sleeping.
In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the Philippine tarsier as near threatened. Later in 2015, the IUCN added the Philippine tarsier to its report Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2014–2016. There are four reasons IUCN added the animal to the list. First, the report states the population status of each genetic lineage of tarsiers is unknown. This means there’s the possibility of extinction for distinct lineages. Second, mega deforestation in the Philippines has taken away the tarsier’s natural habitat, and “it remains unclear whether non-forest habitats, though reported to be potential alternative habitats, could sustain the three distinct genetic lineages of tarsiers.” Third, climate change has seemingly increased the frequency and intensity of typhoons in the country. Although the effects of natural disasters on tarsiers are still being studied, it’s likely that the effects are devastating for the animals. Lastly, although the small creatures are able to promote conservation through tourism, weak management and current practices need correction or it could worsen the risk of extinction for tarsiers.
The IUCN report suggests more studies and examination of the above points need to be addressed in order to determine the exact risks Philippine tarsiers are facing.
References
- “Meet the Philippine tarsier: Second-smallest primate on the planet” by Kate Springer for CNN.
- “Philippine Tarsier” from the IUCN Red List.
- “Philippine Tarsier” from the New England Primate Conservancy.
- “Philippine tarsier” from the Project Tarsius.
- “Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2014–2016” from International Union for Conservative of Nature.
- “Proclamation №1030, s. 1997” from Philippines Fidel V. Ramos in 1997.
- “The Philippines: The Tarsier Man” by Andy Jarosz for the National Geographic.
- “Tarsier” from Britannica.
- “The Man Trying to Save the Philippine Tarsier from the Black Market” by Stephen M. Bland for Vice.
