MOST would call it cute; some might
call it bizarre. It has spindly legs, soft fur, and huge shining eyes.
Its body is about five inches (12.5 cm) in length, and it weighs about
four ounces (114 g). What is it? It is called the tarsier!
Let’s take a closer look at one of
these creatures, the Philippine tarsier. Its eyes, ears, hands, feet,
legs, and tail all seem too big for its tiny body. Yet, a closer look at
this oddity reveals ingenious design.
HEARING: The
tarsier’s paper-thin ears can furl, unfurl, and turn to pick up the
faintest sounds. Its keen hearing helps it not only to avoid predators,
such as wild cats, but also to locate prey. After dark, the tarsier’s
ears will tune in to the sound of crickets, termites, beetles, birds,
and frogs. Then its whole head will follow, directing those bulging eyes
toward its prospective meal.
GRIP: The tarsier’s
hands are tailor-made for grasping thin branches. Its fingertips have
distinctive pads with ridges that grip like the tread on a tire. Even
while sleeping, the tarsier needs to hang on tight. Ridges on the
underside of its long tail help it to remain firmly propped in position
until it wakes up.
VISION: No
other mammal has eyes that are as large in comparison with the size of
its body. In fact, each of the tarsier’s eyes is larger than the
animal’s brain! The tarsier’s eyes cannot turn in their sockets; they
always stare straight ahead. Is this design a disadvantage? Not really.
The tarsier is adequately compensated, as it has a flexible neck that
allows it to turn its head 180 degrees in either direction.
AGILITY: The tarsier’s long legs give it the strength to jump a distance of up to 20 feet (6 m)
Tarsiers rarely survive in captivity,
partly because of their voracious appetite for live insects as well as
their aversion to being handled. Still, this unique creature continues
to fascinate the Filipino people. Almost every part of this endearing
bug-eyed forest dweller is a surprise.