Tarsiers are tiny, wide-eyed primates found only in the forests of Southeast Asia. Despite weighing just a few ounces, they are ferocious nighttime hunters with some of the strangest adaptations in the animal kingdom.
Here are verified facts about tarsiers, from their saucer-sized eyes to their record-breaking jumps.
Tarsiers are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and are active at night.
They have the largest eyes relative to body size of any mammal; a single eye is roughly the size of its brain.
Tarsiers can rotate their heads nearly 180 degrees in each direction, letting them scan for prey without moving their bodies.
Their powerful hind legs let them leap more than 40 times their own body length in a single jump.
Tarsiers are arboreal, spending almost all their time in trees rather than on the ground.
Social behavior varies by species: some tarsiers are largely solitary, while others live in monogamous pairs or small family groups.
Tarsiers communicate with high-pitched calls, and some species use ultrasonic calls pitched beyond the range of human hearing.
They have specialized grooming claws on their second and third toes, used to clean their fur.
Tarsiers get their name from their greatly elongated tarsal (ankle) bones, which act like springs for jumping.
Their large, independently rotating ears can turn nearly 180 degrees to pinpoint sounds in the dark.
Tarsiers have excellent hearing, which helps them locate insect prey by sound in total darkness.
Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primates, feeding mainly on insects and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards or birds.
Wild tarsiers typically live up to about 12 years; they fare poorly in captivity and generally do not survive long when kept as pets.
Several tarsier species are considered vulnerable or endangered due to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.
Tarsiers feature in Philippine folklore, where they are sometimes linked to spirits or bad luck.
They are agile leapers that can jump from tree to tree without ever touching the ground.
Despite appearances, a tarsier's tail is not prehensile; it's used mainly for balance and as a prop when the animal clings to vertical branches.
Tarsiers have a keen sense of balance that lets them move quickly and precisely through the forest canopy.
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