Tarsiers

The Tarsiers

We went to Loboc, Bohol to see the tarsiers. The tarsiers are small creatures with big eyes, grey fur, and almost naked tail. Tarsier’s body length is 118 to 149 millimeters with the weight of 113 to 142 grams. They are smaller than a man’s palm. The males are larger than the females.

They are known to be the world’s smallest monkey but they are not monkeys. Classifying them is problematic. They are a taxonomic suborder among primates but it turned out that they also do not belong to primates. Monkeys belong to the suborder of anthropoids.

Tarsiers usually live on the tree trunks and roots of plants like bamboo. Sometimes, they live in tree holes.

The tarsiers hunt at night for prey. At day time, they hide in holes near the ground. They live in groups. The females take care of the young ones while the males do not do parental care.

 

Upon taking pictures with these creatures, flash should be switched off. The tarsiers have sensitive eyes and the flash of the camera might damage it.

 

Being up close with the tarsier is an opportunity for me. It was my first time to see them and they really look adorable.

 

The flying lemurs were also in Loboc. Lemurs are also known as “Kagwang”. It has a dog-like head and wing-like skin. Its skin helps it fly.

There were also other animals in Loboc.

As of today, these animals are transferred to another area. You can see the tarsiers in other areas of Bohol like in the Tarsier Sanctuary in Sagbayan Peak.