Big-eyed Mammal

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The Philippine Tarsier or Tarsius syrichta is now considered highly endangered specie. Its name is derived from the mammal’s tarsal bones which enable it to leap from tree to tree at lasteral distances up to 3 meters.

Tarsiers can be traced from the Eocene era some 45 million years ago. Today, they can only be found in few places around the world and this includes the Philippines.

In the country, there are said to be three races of a single specie and can be found in
Samar and Leyte (T. philippensis), Bohol (T. fraterculus), and Mindanao (T. carbonarius).

The other remaining species can be found in Borneo (Tarsius bancanus), Sumatra, the spectral tarsier (Tarsius spectrum), the lesser spectral tarsier or pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), and Dian's tarsier (Tarsius dianae) of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The pygmy tarsier, by the way, is considerably smaller than the Philippine tarsier.

Tarsiers are primarily insectivorous and mostly weigh 70-160 grams and grows 10-15 cm excluding tail.

To enjoy the beauty of these cute mammals, you can visit Bohol province, which is also the home of the wonderful Chocolate Hills!

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