Wallace's tarsier | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Family: | Tarsiidae |
Genus: | Tarsius |
Species: | T. wallacei |
Binomial name | |
Tarsius wallacei Merker et al. 2010 | |
Wallace's tarsier, Tarsius wallacei, is a species of Sulawesi tarsier (all tarsiers from the genus tarsius are from Sulawesi and its surrounding islands). It is found in the forests of what is referred to geologically as the neck of Sulawesi [1] where there are two separate populations. It is a small brown arboreal primate of the infraorder Tarsiiformes less than 15 cm (6 in) long.
Wallace's tarsier was first described as T. wallacei by Stefan Merker et al. in 2010, the type locality being about 9 km (6 mi) south of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, near the village of Uwemanje. There are two separate populations which are morphologically similar but differ in the size of the animal. The new species was named in honour of the British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace. [2]
Wallace's tarsier is similar in size and appearance to other lowland tarsiers and has a head-and-body length of between 10 and 15 cm (4 and 6 in). It is larger than the pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus). It has large eyes, a clearly defined facial-mask, white spots behind its ears and a long tail with a large bushy tail-tuft. Its fur is yellowish-brown and its throat is copper-coloured. Although morphologically similar to other species of tarsier found on Sulawesi, it has a distinctive duetting call, and genetic analysis shows that its mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA sequences, and its microsatellite allele frequencies, are unique. [2]
Wallace's tarsier is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. There are two separate populations separated by Palu Bay, the capital city and the south part of the Isthmus of Palu. The southern population occupies an area of approximately 50 km2 (19 sq mi). This tarsier is arboreal and is found in both primary and secondary forest and in degraded areas. [1]
Wallace's tarsier has a limited range, especially the southern form. The total population is unknown but is thought to be decreasing as forest is cleared to make way for plantation crops. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as "vulnerable". The northern population includes the Gunung Sojol Nature Reserve within its range. However, the southern population has such a small range that any setback to the population could have a high impact. [1]
Tarsiers are haplorhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all of its species living today are found in Maritime Southeast Asia, specifically the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
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.
Horsfield's tarsier, also known as the western tarsier, is the only species of tarsier in the genus Cephalopachus. Named for American naturalist Thomas Horsfield, it 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.
Lore Lindu National Park is a protected area of forest on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The Indonesian national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species endemic to Sulawesi. The national park is designated as part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In addition to its rich wildlife, the park also contains megaliths dating from before 1300 AD.
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 Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat, Dinagat crateromys or Dinagat cloud rat is a species of cloud rat in the family Muridae. It is one of the eight cloud rats found only in the Philippines, and is specifically endemic to Dinagat Island. It is known locally as hawili. A single specimen was discovered in 1975 by Dioscoro S. Rabor and his team during a scientific survey in Dinagat. The natural habitat is tropical lowland forests, which is facing environmental threats. Habitat loss is caused by progressive deforestation from heavy logging and chromite mining in the area. Almost 40 years after the original discovery, five live specimens were discovered by Milada Řeháková, Václav Řehák and William L.R. Oliver, in 2012.
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 Makassar tarsier is a species of tarsier. Its range is in Indonesia in the southwestern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, near Makassar. At one point the taxon was downgraded to a junior synonym of the spectral tarsier. However, when that species' range was restricted to the population on a single island near Sulawesi, this nomen was resurrected to contain the remainder of that species.
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 is a species of tarsier found in Indonesia. Their call, or "songs" are known to be different from other similar tarsier species. The Jatna's tarsier has giant eyes and ears, and they also can rotate their heads like owls. This skill helps them locate predators and prey in the dark. They can also jump like 40 times their body length. This species of tarsiers was named after Jatna Supriatna because in his professional life, he has spent most of the time talking about the biodiversity in Indonesia and did a lot of work on tarsiers.
Niemitz's tarsier is a species of tarsier. It was named in honor of the German evolutionary biologist Carsten Niemitz in 2019. The species is found on an archipelago off the coast of Sulawesi called the Togian Islands. In Indonesian it is called bunsing, tangkasi or podi while Niemitz's tarsier has been suggested as the English common name.
The Sulawesi lowland rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the lowlands of Sulawesi and neighboring islands.
The Sulawesi montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Indonesia. It includes the highlands of Sulawesi.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)