tarsier

Imagine a creature no bigger than your hand, with enormous eyes that seem to take up most of its face. That's a tarsier, a small primate found in the forests of Southeast Asia. These animals are completely carnivorous: they eat insects and other small animals, and they are known for their amazing jumping ability. They can leap many times their own body length between trees, thanks to their long ankle bones. Tarsiers are primates, but they are not monkeys or lemurs. If you ever find yourself in the rainforest at night, keep an eye out. You might just spot one of these shy, wide-eyed creatures.

The tarsier is a tiny primate native to islands in Southeast Asia, including parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Despite its small size, usually about 3 to 6 inches in body length, it is a remarkable animal with several unusual features. The most striking feature is its enormous eyes, which are among the largest relative to body size of any mammal. These eyes help it see in the dark, because it is a strictly nocturnal hunter that relies on excellent vision to find insects, lizards, and sometimes small birds or snakes.

Tarsiers are not monkeys or lemurs; they belong to their own branch within the primate family. They have very long ankle bones, and this is where the name "tarsier" comes from, from the word tarsus, meaning ankle bone. Those long ankles allow them to leap great distances between trees, sometimes up to 10 times their body length. This jumping ability, along with their soft fur and quiet movement, makes them hard to spot in the wild.

Sadly, many tarsier species are threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Conservation efforts are underway to protect these unusual primates and help them survive in the forests of Southeast Asia. So when you think of tiny, fascinating animals, picture the tarsier: a small night hunter with huge eyes and an incredible leap.