fbpx

KidsKonnect

Tarsier Facts & Worksheets

Tarsiers are haplorhine, or dry-nosed, primates of the sole extant Tarsiidae family under the Tarsiiformes infraorder.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Science /Tarsier Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Tarsiers are haplorhine, or dry-nosed, primates of the sole extant Tarsiidae family under the Tarsiiformes infraorder. Although the group used to have a wider geographical range, all of its living species today inhabit the islands of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

See the fact file below for more information on the Tarsier or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Tarsier worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Fossil Record

  • Fossils of tarsiiform monkeys have been discovered in Asia, Europe, and North America, with disputed remains from Africa. Still, living tarsiers are limited to several islands in southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The fossil record implies that their dentition has not evolved much in the past 45 million years, except in size.
  • There are two extinct genera under the Tarsiidae family, Xanthorhysis and Afrotarsius. However, the latter’s placement is still unknown, and it is often categorized in its own family, Afrotarsiidae, within the infraorder Tarsiiformes, or seen as an anthropoid primate.
  • So far, four fossil species of tarsiers are certain according to the fossil records: (1) Tarsius eocaenus from the Middle Eocene in China, (2) Hesperotarsius thailandicus from the Early Miocene in northwestern Thailand, (3) Hesperotarsius sindensis from the Miocene in Pakistan, and (4) Tarsius sirindhornae from the Middle Miocene in northern Thailand.

Classification

  • The phylogenetic position of living tarsiers has stirred much debate for the past 20th century. They have alternately been grouped with strepsirrhine primates in the Prosimii suborder or as the sister group to the simians in the Haplorhini infraorder. 
  • At a lower phylogenetic level, tarsiers have, until recently, all been classified in the Tarsius genus. Many argued whether these creatures should be categorized in two, a Sulawesi and a Philippine-western group, or three distinct genera: Sulawesi, Philippine, and western groups.
  • In 2010, Colin Groves and Myron Shekelle proposed the split of the genus Tarsius into three genera: the Philippine tarsiers under the Carlito genus, the western tarsiers under the Cephalopachus genus, and the eastern tarsiers under the Tarsius genus. This classification was based on variations in dentition, eye size, limb and hand length, tail tufts, tail sitting pads, number of mammae, chromosome count, socioecology, vocalizations, and distribution. 
  • In 2014, researchers from the Institute of Biology of the University of the Philippines Diliman and the University of Kansas found a new genus of Philippine tarsier in the Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and probably Siargao Islands in Mindanao’s Island’s northeast region.

Anatomy and Physiology

  • They have a strong sense of hearing, and their auditory cortex is unique.
  • Tarsiers are small primates with enormous eyes; each eyeball is about 16 mm in diameter and is as large as, in some instances, larger than its whole brain. The distinct cranial anatomy of the tarsier is caused by the need to balance their huge eyes and heavy head, so they are capable of waiting silently for prey.
  • Tarsiers have long back limbs, caused mainly by the elongated tarsal bones of the feet, from which these little monkeys get their name. The combination of their long tarsi and fused tibiofibulae makes them morphologically adapted for vertical clinging and leaping.
  • The head and body are about 10 to 15 cm in length, but the hind limbs are twice this long, including the feet. It also has a slender tail, stretching from 20 to 25 cm. Its fingers are also long, with the third digit being about the same length of its upper arm. Most of its fingers have nails, but the second and third toes of the back feet have claws, which are used for grooming.
  • They have delicate, velvety fur, which is usually buff, beige, or ochre.
  • Their anatomy lets them rotate their heads 180 degrees in either direction, allowing them to see 360 degrees.
  • Unlike most nocturnal vertebrates, they do not have a light-reflecting layer of the retina. They also have a fovea centralis or a small central pit made of closely packed cones in the eye.
  • Aside from producing vocalizations with a dominant frequency of 70 kHz, the Philippine tarsier is capable of hearing frequencies as high as 91 kHz.

Behavior

  • Tarsiers are the only extant completely carnivorous primates: they are generally insectivorous and catch insects by leaping at them. Their main prey includes arthropods such as beetles, spiders, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and walking sticks. They are also known to feed on birds, snakes, lizards, and bats.
  • Pygmy tarsiers are different from other species in their morphology-based on ecological variation, particularly the altitude of the environment, communication, and behavior.
  • All species of tarsiers are nocturnal in their habitats; however, just like other nocturnal creatures, some individuals may display more or less activity during the daytime. According to the anatomy of all tarsiers, they are all specialized for leaping even though they have differences based on their species.
  • Gestation occurs for about six months, and female tarsiers give birth to one offspring only. Young tarsiers are born with fur and open eyes and can climb within a day of delivery. They become sexually mature by the end of their second year. 
  • Sociality and the mating system differ in every species, with tarsiers from Sulawesi living in small family groups. In contrast, Philippine and western tarsiers are said to sleep and find food alone.
  • Tarsiers appear to be extremely shy mammals and are sensitive to bright lights, loud noises, and physical contact. They have also been reported to become suicidal when stressed or kept in cages.
  • Due to their small size, they are usually preyed upon by snakes, owls, lizards, and cats. When a predator is nearby, tarsiers surround the threat by producing vocalizations and attacking it. While tarsier groups consist of only one male, when facing a threat, other groups will join, thus having several alpha male tarsiers confronting the predator.

Conservation

  • Tarsiers held captive have never established successful breeding colonies, which their special feeding requirements may cause.
  • Carlito Pizarras, known as the “Tarsier man”, founded a sanctuary near the town of Corella in Bohol, an island in the Philippines, which is now having some success in restoring tarsier numbers. 
  • All species of tarsiers are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.

Tarsier Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Tarsier across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Tarsier which today today inhabit the islands of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Tarsier Facts
  • Tiny Tarsiers
  • Things About Tarsiers
  • Growing up Tiny
  • Ask Yourself
  • Tiny Treehuggers
  • Test Yourself
  • Tarsier Species
  • Escape Extinction
  • Tarsier Collage
  • Three Tarsiers

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Tarsier Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 30, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.