Tarsier

Race Against Time

Biologists in search of new species are racing against time. Their mad dash to identify new species and protect them may not come fast enough to save their discoveries from extinction. Many species--like the Philippine Tarsier, the big-eyed insect-eating monkey whose size is smaller than a boy's fist. Scientists regard the Tarsier as the oldest mammal now inhabiting the earth. --are threatened as soon as they're discovered because their habitats are disappearing. When you clearcut a forest, you don't know what's in there. "One hundred species can be wiped out in a day."

The natural extinction rate that existed for millions of years before humans evolved claimed about two species per year. Today, 1,000 species vanish each year, according to the World Conservation Union.

Current Condition: Tarsius syrichta is a threatened and endangered species. Status unknown with other tarsier species.

Tarsiers cling vertically to trees and leap from trunk to trunk. They are well adapted to an arboreal life by the great elongation of their hind limbs, by the expansion of the tips of the digits into disklike, adhesive pads, and by possession of the long, thin, tufted tail that serves as a balancer and prop. They are nocturnal animals and prey mainly on insects. A single young is produced in a fairly well-developed state, well furred and with eyes open; gestation may require about six months. –Britanica.com

Although scientists agree that the tarsier, popularly known in the Philippines as the "world's smallest monkey" is really not a monkey, they are still not sure what kind of primate it is. Some say it should be classed as prosimians like lemurs, lorises and bushbabies, an older (or "lower") order of primates that could date back 50 million years. It is one of the oldest land species in continuous existence in the Philippines. Other researchers think the tarsier, whose name "tarsier/tarsius" is derived from its very long anklebones, is part of a more recent (or "higher") order of primates, like monkeys and humans. -By Linda B. Bolido (Inquirer News Service)

Tarsier (Genus Tarsius) Any of three species of small primates, family Tarsiidae, intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys. Tarsiers are found on several Southeast Asian islands including the Philippines, Celebes, Borneo, and Sumatra. They have long legs, short bodies, and rounded heads that can be rotated through 180?. Their faces are short, and the eyes, their most striking feature, are large and goggling. The ears are large, membranous, and almost constantly in motion. Tarsiers are about 9-16 cm (3.5-6 inches) long, excluding the tail, which is about twice that length. Their fur is thick, silky, and coloured gray to dark brown.

The world-renowned cone-shaped Chocolate Hills is Nature's expression of beauty, mystery and romance. Spread over the municipalities of Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan, the Chocolate Hills is the province's signature attraction. It consists of approximately 1,268 haycock hills with heights ranging from 40 to 120 meters.

Formed centuries ago by tidal movements, the hills are considered as a National Geologic Movement. During the summers, the dome-shaped grass covered limestone hills dry up and turn brown, transforming the area into seemingly endless rows of chocolate “kisses”.

Two of the highest hills have been developed and provided with facilities such as a restaurant, hotel and viewdeck. -gov.com.ph

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