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Spectral Tarsier

Tarsius tarsier

Photo by Dan Doucette
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

small nocturnal primate, endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. they have enormous eyes, each eyeball is approximately 16 mm in diameter and is as large as its entire brain.

Habitat:

tropical rainforest

Notes:

Tarsiers are one of the main attractions at Tangkoko Batuangus National Park (the other being the black crested macaque). My guide and I went out late afternoon to look for them. He knew a few trees to check, as they live inside tree holes during the day. We found them in the first tree we checked. Three of them living in the tree. At one point all three of them were sitting on the tree, scanning their surroundings, waiting for night to fall. As soon as it got dark, just after 6pm, they left the tree with lightning speed and we soon lost sight of them.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (33)

Thanks a lot for featuring my spotting melanie.
Wonderful images, Dan! We've just featured this Mission WILD spotting on The WILD Foundation's Facebook page- take a look here: https://www.facebook.com/wildfoundation
Thanks for all the kind comments. I didn't do anything special to get this look. Just being myself, I guess my face was enough for him to turn in his head in bewilderment! Ha!
It is amazing how much Tarsiers and insectivorous bats look alike. Love their little spider like hands. What did you promise this one to get that look!
Super cute animals Dan! They look like the nice gremlins:-)
This must be an exceptional animal but the pictures you have clicked are very very cute! Especially the first and the last one..my favorites! Congrats.
What did you do to earn that look Dan? :D
Little darlings ! Congratulations Dan and thanks for sharing this.
Great spotting! It's so cute :D
Love the last picture in the series - and I remember reading about this in the blog
Thanks Karen for SOTD and everyone for all the awesome comments! I really appreciate it.
Congratulations, dear. Fantastic spotting.
Great spot Dan! WOW! What an adventure you had. Super adorable! Great series. Congratulations!
Stunning photos of one of my favourite species. Congratulations on SOTD
too cute! congrats, Dan!
Awesome series Dan ,just to beautiful :-) congrats on the SOTD and thanks for sharing such an amazing spotting page
Congrats Dan, your adorable tarsier is Spotting of the Day! The spectral tarsier has the largest eyes relative to body weight of any mammal. Facebook: https://upload.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603.674700.10150120463815603/10153950443950603/?type=1&stream_ref=10 Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/447597891616784384
They're soo cute! Such an awesome species.

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