Tarsier in Bohol, Philippines | Photo by Todd L. Cohen | Visit50.com

Philippine Tarsier – world’s cutest primate?

For a moment I thought I met real Gremlins!  Introducing the extremely rare Philippine Tarsier, one of the smallest primates on earth.

In this post, I’ll share facts about these curious creatures. Some call them the cutest “monkey” on earth.

What do you think?

Fun facts about tarsiers:

Philippine Tarsiers have enormous sized eyes, which are as large as their brains.

Philippine Tarsier in Bohol, Philippines

Nocturnal

Also, tarsiers are very shy nocturnal animals. Despite that, I managed to get a few photos for you. Look at those eyes!

Philippine Tarsier wrapped up in a bed of leaves, in Bohol, Philippines
Tarsier wrapped up in a bed of leaves
Philippine Tarsier have little tiny hands and feet | Photo taken in Bohol, Philippines
Philippine Tarsier have little tiny hands and feet

Tarsier diet

The their diet is nearly exclusively insects. Tarsiers catch insects by jumping at them. On occasion these little guys also eat birds, snakes, bats, and lizards.

They Jump!

Also, they’re quick jumpers. Tarsiers look asleep at one moment, and then jump to another branch the next.

Philippine Tarsier are really small | Bohol, Philippines
Tarsiers are really tiny

So small!

As you can see, they’re is really tiny. This tarsier fit in my hands!  They typically measure just 4-6 inches.

Sleeping tarsiers - they're nocturnal primates | Bohol, Philippines | Photo by Todd Cohen | 50and50by50.com
The Philippine Tarsier is a nocturnal primate. Very sleepy!
Tarsiers have little tiny fingers and toes | Bohol, Philippines | Photo by Todd Cohen | 50and50by50.com
Tarsiers have little tiny fingers and toes to hug the tree branch

Rotation – Tarsier eyes are too big to move in their sockets. Instead they rotate their head 180 degrees. This makes them similar to an owl.

Philippine Tarsier in Bohol, Philippines | Photo by Todd Cohen | 50and50by50.com

Tarsiers are Endangered

The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta or Carlito syrichta) is an endangered species endemic to the Philippines.  The tarsier species is believed to be 45 million years old.

My Tarsier friend in Bohol, Philippines
Tarsiers are so little!

Where to find Philippine Tarsiers

Tarsiers are indigenous to Southeast Asia; Bohol is one of just a few islands where the Philippine Tarsier can be found.

They say your visit to Bohol is not complete without seeing the famous Philippine Tarsier, and I’d have to agree. They’re unlike anything I’ve ever seen (besides Gizmo from the Gremlins!).

More info on Wikipedia , Bohol.ph, and here.

 

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