Tarsiiformes is an infraorder of small primates. It contains a single extant family, Tarsiidae, and members of this infraorder are called tarsiiformes, with members of the family named tarsiers. Tarsiiformes is one of the six major groups in the order Primates. They are found in Maritime Southeast Asia, primarily in forests, though some species can also be found in caves or wetlands. They range in size from the pygmy tarsier, at 8 cm (3 in) plus a 20 cm (8 in) tail, to the Philippine tarsier, at 16 cm (6 in) plus a 25 cm (10 in) tail. Tarsiers are carnivorous and primarily eat insects, though they also consume small vertebrates such as lizards, birds, or bats. The only tarsier with a population estimate is Niemitz's tarsier, estimated at 10,000 to 20,000 mature individuals, but it, along with the Peleng tarsier, pygmy tarsier, and Sangihe tarsier, is categorized as endangered species, while the Siau Island tarsier is classified as critically endangered.
The fourteen extant species of Tarsiiformes are divided into three genera: Carlito and Cephalopachus , each with a single species, and Tarsius , containing the other twelve. A few extinct prehistoric Tarsiiformes species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed. [1]
Conservation status | |
---|---|
EX | Extinct (0 species) |
EW | Extinct in the wild (0 species) |
CR | Critically Endangered (1 species) |
EN | Endangered (4 species) |
VU | Vulnerable (7 species) |
NT | Near threatened (1 species) |
LC | Least concern (0 species) |
Other categories | |
DD | Data deficient (1 species) |
NE | Not evaluated (0 species) |
Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the tarsier's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.
The infraorder Tarsiiformes consists of one extant family: Tarsiidae, containing fourteen species divided between three genera. Carlito and Cephalopachus each have a single species, and Tarsius contains the other twelve.
Family Tarsiidae
The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists. [2]
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Philippine tarsier | C. syrichta (Linnaeus, 1758) | Southeastern Philippines | Size: 8–16 cm (3–6 in) long, plus about 25 cm (10 in) tail [3] Habitat: Forest [4] Diet: Insects, spiders, lizards, and other small vertebrates [3] | NT
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Horsfield's tarsier | T. bancanus (Horsfield, 1821) Three subspecies
| Western Philippines | Size: 11–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 20–24 cm (8–9 in) tail [5] Habitat: Forest [6] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates including birds, mammals, and reptiles [7] | VU
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dian's tarsier | T. dentatus Miller & Hollister, 1921 | Central Sulawesi, Indonesia | Size: 11–12 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 13–28 cm (5–11 in) tail [8] [9] Habitat: Forest [10] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [8] | VU
|
Gursky's spectral tarsier | T. spectrumgurskyae Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto & Mittermeier, 2017 | Northeastern Sulawesi (in purple) | Size: About 14 cm (6 in) long, plus 21–27 cm (8–11 in) tail [11] Habitat: Forest [12] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [12] | VU
|
Jatna's tarsier | T. supriatnai Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto & Mittermeier, 2017 | Northern Sulawesi (in gray) | Size: About 14 cm (6 in) long, plus 23–25 cm (9–10 in) tail [11] Habitat: Forest [13] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [13] | VU
|
Lariang tarsier | T. lariang Groves & Merker, 2006 | Central Sulawesi | Size: About 12 cm (5 in) long, plus 12–21 cm (5–8 in) tail [14] Habitat: Forest [15] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [15] | DD
|
Makassar tarsier | T. fuscus Fischer von Waldheim, 1804 | Southern Sulawesi (in yellow) | Size: 12–13 cm (5 in) long, plus 24–26 cm (9–10 in) tail [16] Habitat: Forest and caves [17] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [16] | VU
|
Niemitz's tarsier | T. niemitzi Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto, Mittermeier, Salim & Springer, 2019 | Northern Sulawesi (circled in black) | Size: About 14 cm (6 in) long, plus 24–26 cm (9–10 in) tail [18] Habitat: Forest [19] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [19] | EN
|
Peleng tarsier | T. pelengensis Sody, 1949 | Eastern Sulawesi | Size: 12–14 cm (5–6 in) long, plus 25–27 cm (10–11 in) tail [20] Habitat: Forest [21] Diet: Insects, as well as frogs, lizards, and other small vertebrates [21] | EN
|
Pygmy tarsier | T. pumilus Miller, Hollister, 1921 | Central Sulawesi | Size: 8–11 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 20–21 cm (8 in) tail [22] [23] Habitat: Forest [24] Diet: Arthropods and insects, as well as small vertebrates [22] | EN
|
Sangihe tarsier | T. sangirensis Meyer, 1897 | Sangir Island, southeastern Philippines | Size: 12–13 cm (5 in) long, plus about 30 cm (12 in) tail [25] Habitat: Forest and inland wetlands [26] Diet: Insects, as well as birds, lizards, and other small vertebrates [25] | EN
|
Siau Island tarsier | T. tumpara Shekelle, Groves, Merker & Supriatna, 2008 | Siau Island, north of Sulawesi | Size: 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus about 20 cm (8 in) tail [27] Habitat: Forest [28] Diet: Arthropods, as well as small vertebrates [28] | CR
|
Spectral tarsier | T. tarsier (Erxleben, 1777) | Sulawesi | Size: 9–14 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 20–26 cm (8–10 in) tail [29] Habitat: Forest [30] Diet: Insects, as well as lizards, bats, and other small vertebrates [29] | VU
|
Wallace's tarsier | T. wallacei Merker, Driller, Dahruddin, Wirdateti, Sinaga, Perwitasari-Farajallah & Shekelle, 2010 | Northern Sulawesi (in orange) | Size: 11–13 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 23–27 cm (9–11 in) tail [31] Habitat: Forest and inland wetlands [32] Diet: Insects, as well as small vertebrates [31] | VU
|
Tarsiers are haplorhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is, itself, the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was, prehistorically, more globally widespread, all of the species living today are restricted to Maritime Southeast Asia, predominantly being found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Tarsiiformes are a group of primates that once ranged across Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and North America, but whose extant species are all found in the islands of Southeast Asia. Tarsiers are the only living members of the infraorder; other members of Tarsiidae include the extinct Tarsius eocaenus from the Eocene, and Tarsius thailandicus from the Miocene. Two extinct genera, Xanthorhysis and Afrotarsius, are considered to be close relatives of the living tarsiers, and are generally classified within Tarsiiformes, with the former grouped within family Tarsiidae, and the latter listed as incertae sedis (undefined). Omomyids are generally considered to be extinct relatives, or even ancestors, of the living tarsiers, and are often classified within Tarsiiformes.
The Philippine tarsier, known locally as mawumag in Cebuano and other Visayan languages, and magô in Waray, is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte. It is a member of the approximately 45-million-year-old family Tarsiidae, whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone. Formerly a member of the genus Tarsius, it is now listed as the only member of the genus Carlito, a new genus named after the conservationist Carlito Pizarras.
The Sangihe tarsier, also known as Sangihe Island tarsier, is a small primate found on Sangir Island, which is located about 200 kilometers north-east of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. In 2008 a population of the Sangihe tarsier was determined to be a distinct species, the Siau Island tarsier.
Trachypithecus is a genus of Old World monkeys containing species known as lutungs, langurs, or leaf monkeys. Their range is much of Southeast Asia.
Horsfeld's tarsier is the only species of tarsier in the genus Cephalopachus. Named by American naturalist Thomas Horsfield, it is also referred to as western tarsier. The species occurs on Borneo, Sumatra and nearby islands and is, like other members of the group, entirely nocturnal.
The Peleng tarsier, or the Peleng Island tarsier, is a nocturnal primate found on the island of Peleng, just east of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Dian's tarsier, also known as the Diana tarsier, is a nocturnal primate endemic to central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its head-body length is 11.5–12 centimetres (4.5–4.7 in) and it has a tail of 22 centimetres (8.7 in). Dian's tarsier lives in rainforests. It was formerly called T. dianae, but that has been shown to be a junior synonym.
The pygmy tarsier, also known as the mountain tarsier or the lesser spectral tarsier, is a nocturnal primate found in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, in an area with lower vegetative species diversity than the lowland tropical forests. The pygmy tarsier was believed to have become extinct in the early 20th century. Then, in 2000, Indonesian scientists accidentally killed one while trapping rats. The first pygmy tarsiers seen alive since the 1920s were found by a research team led by Dr. Sharon Gursky and Ph.D. student Nanda Grow from Texas A&M University on Mount Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park in August 2008. The two males and single female were captured using nets, and were radio collared to track their movements. As the first live pygmy tarsiers seen in 80-plus years, these captures dispelled the belief among some primatologists that the species was extinct.
The spectral tarsier is a species of tarsier found on the island of Selayar in Indonesia. It is apparently less specialized than the Philippine tarsier or Horsfield's tarsier; for example, it lacks adhesive toes. It is the type species for the genus Tarsius. While its range used to also include the population on nearby southwestern Sulawesi, this population has been reclassified as a separate species, Tarsius fuscus. Some of the earlier research published on Tarsius spectrum refers to the taxon that was recently reclassified and elevated to a separate species, the Gursky's spectral tarsier.
The Lariang tarsier is a recently described tarsier occurring in the western part of the central core of Sulawesi. Six museum specimens of this species are known, two of which have been misidentified as the pygmy tarsier before their correct identity came out. This species has been named after the Lariang River, an important river in the part of Sulawesi where this species occurs.
The Siau Island tarsier is a species of tarsier from the tiny volcanic island of Siau in Indonesia. The T. tumpara species is one of 14 species and 7 subspecies in the tarsier family called "Tarsiidae". They belong to the Haplorrhini suborder, known as the "dry-nosed" primates. The tarsier's eyes are so big that they do not move in its socket and they are almost as big as its brain. The name tumpara, which means tarsier in the local language of Sulawesi, was an attempt to encourage the community in preserving this biological heritage.
Tarsius is a genus of tarsiers, small primates native to islands of Southeast Asia. Until 2010, all tarsier species were typically assigned to this genus, but a revision of the family Tarsiidae restored the generic status of Cephalopachus and created a new genus Carlito.
The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates is a list of highly endangered primate species selected and published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Primate Specialist Group (PSG), the International Primatological Society (IPS), Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), and Bristol Zoological Society (BZS). The IUCN/SSC PSG worked with Conservation International (CI) to start the list in 2000, but in 2002, during the 19th Congress of the International Primatological Society, primatologists reviewed and debated the list, resulting in the 2002–2004 revision and the endorsement of the IPS. The publication was a joint project between the three conservation organizations until the 2012–2014 list when BZS was added as a publisher. The 2018–2020 list was the first time Conservation International was not among the publishers, replaced instead by GWC. The list has been revised every two years following the biannual Congress of the IPS. Starting with the 2004–2006 report, the title changed to "Primates in Peril: The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates". That same year, the list began to provide information about each species, including their conservation status and the threats they face in the wild. The species text is written in collaboration with experts from the field, with 60 people contributing to the 2006–2008 report and 85 people contributing to the 2008–2010 report. The 2004–2006 and 2006–2008 reports were published in the IUCN/SSC PSG journal Primate Conservation,, since then they have been published as independent publications.
Wallace's tarsier, Tarsius wallacei, is a species of Sulawesi tarsier. It is found in the forests of what is referred to geologically as the neck of Sulawesi where there are two separate populations. It is a small brown arboreal primate of the infraorder Tarsiiformes less than 15 cm (6 in) long.
Gursky's spectral tarsier is a species of tarsier found in the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. A recent taxonomic revision split this species off from the spectral tarsier and other tarsier species based on difference in vocalisations and pelage. These tarsiers, like other species of primates, are able to communicate with other individuals of the same species through flexible call patterns, in which they output different note patterns based on their duet partner's calls.
The Jatna’s tarsier, also known locally as the mimito, is a species of tarsier endemic to the northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Previously classified together with the Spectral tarsier, this species was reclassified and elevated as a separate species in 2017 due to their distinct and separate acoustic duet calls between males and females.