The Tarsier is a very small mammal, a primate,
that is only about the size of a human hand. Once upon a time,
this little animal could be found in Europe and North America,
but today it is only found in 
southeastern
Asia in coastal forests near creeks and rivers.
These little animals are nocturnal and
arboreal, propelling themselves from branch to branch with their
powerful hind legs, sometimes leaping up to 10 feet. They have
soft pads on their fingers and toes that allow them to grip branches.
When on the ground they hop. Tarsiers are named for their special
elongated tarsal bones.
Tarsiers are about 4.5 to 5 inches long, not including the tail,
which is another 9 inches and nearly hairless. They only weigh
from 4.5 to 5.5 ounces. Males are heavier. They are capable of
turning their head in any direction through a full 180 degrees,
much like an owl.
Tarsiers feed on insects and lizards and also small fish and
crabs.
The gestation is about 180 days. There
is only one offspring produced each year and raised by the female.
Life span is about 13 years.
There is one species of Tarsier in the
Philippines particularly on the islands of Samar, Leyte, Bohol,
and Mindanao. There are four species in Indonesia. Another has
recently been proposed.
Tarsiers make a variety of calls from a
loud piercing note to bird-like trills.
The little Tarsier plush shown above comes
from Hansa plush. Check the Gift
Shop to see if we have any Tarsier in stock.
