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Tarsiers. Fast Facts. Genus Tarsius, 9 species Longest continuous fossil record of any primate genus 45 million years Small animals with enormous eyes Related to Lemurs. Description. The head and body range from 4 to 6 inches in length
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Fast Facts • Genus Tarsius, 9 species • Longest continuous fossil record of any primate genus 45 million years • Small animals with enormous eyes • Related to Lemurs
Description • The head and body range from 4 to 6 inches in length • Each eyeball is over half an inch in diameter and as large as their entire brain • Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, from which the animals get their name. • The hind limbs and fingers are elongated • Tarsiers have very soft, velvety fur, which is generally buff or beige in color
Feeding • Nocturnal • Only entirely carnivorous primate on Earth • Primarily insectivorous
Reproduction • 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 by the end of their second year
Conservation • Tarsiers have never formed successful breeding colonies in captivity, and when caged, tarsiers have been known to injure and even kill themselves because of the stress. • One site having some success at restoring tarsier populations is in the Philippine Island of Bohol. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation has developed a large semi-wild enclosure that uses lights to attract the nocturnal insects that make up the tarsier's diet