Aviv Hadar

Meet the Tarsier, a primate which has been around for nearly 45 million years. They have the longest continuous fossil record of any primate. But because, ya know, all of us, they are relatively bound to islands off of Southeast Asia.

What’s really interesting is that fossils of these creatures can be found in Asia, Europe, North America and there’s some disputes over whether fossils have turned up in Africa or not. Particularly whether the fossils were actually Tarsiers, not whether they were found. However, due to their 45 year million long record of existence, it’s hard to compare seemingly 35 million year old bones to other creatures of similar size.

These days, Tarsiers are bound to Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Sumatra.

From Wikipedia: Tarsiers are small animals with enormous eyes; each eyeball is approximately 16 mm in diameter and is as large as their entire brain.[3] Tarsiers also have very long hind limbs. In fact, their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, from which the animals get their name. The head and body range from 10 to 15 cm in length, but the hind limbs are about twice this long (including the feet), and they also have a slender tail from 20 to 25 cm long. Their fingers are also elongated, with the third finger being about the same length as the upper arm. Most of the digits have nails, but the second and third toes of the hind feet bear claws instead, which are used for grooming. Tarsiers have very soft, velvety fur, which is generally buff, beige, or ochre in color.

They catch insects by jumping at them, but they’re also known to prey on small vertebrates, like birds, snakes, bats and lizards. They can even catch birds in mid-flight when they’re jumping from tree to tree. Quite surprising when compared to the way they look when resting in a tree. You can see them in action for yourself in the video below.

“Gestation takes about six months, and tarsiers give birth to single offspring. Young tarsiers are born furred, and with open eyes, and are able to climb within a day of birth. They reach sexual maturity after one year. Adults live in pairs, with a home range of around one hectare.”

THE TARSIER IN ACTION:

Thanx to various flickr users for the photos.