The Philippine tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world, standing at about 8.5 to 16 centimetres in size (imagine the hand of a five year-old), with a hairless tail that is double the length of the rest of the body. They are extremely lightweight, weighing between 80 and 165 grams. The colouring of its fur tends to be brown or gray, but there is also the possibility of reddish-brown hair. The Philippine tarsier is a bilaterally symmetrical species. The tarsier has big, bat-like ears and a round head, but what makes it easiest to recognize is its eyes, the largest of any mammal in proportion to its body. Because their eyes are fixed, they have the ability to rotate their heads 180 degrees. Coupled with extremely sensitive hearing, this makes the Philippine tarsier one of the most effective nocturnal hunters. With skinny yet powerful arms and legs that are equipped with pads on the end of their digits, a typical tarsier is capable of jumping six metres. |
