Saturday, September 13, 2008

Tarsier bubbub


 Wp-Content Uploads 2007 08 Tarsier
Tarsiers are primates with enormous eyes and long feet. Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is how they were penned their name. Primarily insectivorous, they catch insects by jumping at them. They're also known to prey on birds and snakes. As they jump from tree to tree, tarsiers can catch even birds in motion.

All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show some activity during the daytime.

Fossils of tarsiers are found in Asia, Europe, North America, with disputed fossils from Africa, but existing tarsiers are restricted to several Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo, and Sumatra.

Tarsiers have never formed successful breeding colonies in captivity, and when caged tarsiers have been known to injure and even kill themselves due to stress-