User:Alfergut/Siau Island tarsier

Ficus Tree, Tarsier Habitat

The Siau Island tarsier (Tarsius tumpara) is a species of tarsier from the tiny volcanic island of Siau in Indonesia.copied from article Siau Island tarsier. The T. tumpara species is one of 14 species and 7 subspecies in the tarsier family called Tarsiidae. They belong to the Haplorrhini suborder, known as the "dry-nosed" primates. The tarsiers eyes are so big that they do not move in its socket and they are almost as big as its brain. The name tumpara, which means tarsier in the local language of Sulawesi, was an attempt to encourage the community in preserving this biological heritage.

Characteristics

T. tumpara on a tree

Anatomy and Physical Appearance

The main characteristics of the tumpara tarsiers include having a white ventral fur, lacking the distinctive golden dorsal fur that the Tarsius sangirensis have, and a larger skull compared to its other relatives. Another distinctive way to distinguish the T. tumpara from other tarsier species such as the T. sangirensis and the T. dianae, is its distinctive duet note in each of the different sexes. The Siau Island Tarsier is a very small species which measures around 4 to 6 inches (10-15cm) in body length. However, their long tails can add another 8 inches (20cm) in their total lengths. They weigh between 100 and 150 grams, which makes them very quiet when they leap on dense vines or branches.

Eyes

The Siau Tarsier has very big eyes that don’t move. They have very big irises that range in shades of gold and brown. The size of its eyes does help the species with nocturnal vision. They have foveal vision, which helps them to see things more sharply. However, they lack a tapetum (which is very common in mammals).

Agility

Siau Island Tarsiers are an arboreal species, which means they spend most of their time in trees, and therefore are very agile and excellent at jumping and climbing. They can jump up to 10 ft (3m) high, have a neck that turns 180 degrees, and have good hearing. They also have long skinny fingers which helps them easily grab things such as when they are capturing prey. The T. tumpara's main method of hunting consists of sitting quietly on a branch and waiting for a prey to arrive to attack it.

Habitat

The tarsier species are nocturnal and can be found sleeping in tree holes during the day, especially those of fig trees (Ficus), depending on what forest they are in. They can usually be found entering their trees to go sleep between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM. The members of each group sleep individually in their own trees to avoid a predator attack on the entire family.

Predators

The species primary predators are Humans, arboreal snakes, lizards, birds of prey and feral cats. However, their cryptic behaviour makes it difficult for predators to catch them.

Geography

Siau Island as part of the Sangihe Islands in the North of Sulawesi chain of islands, Indonesia.

Tarsiers are most commonly found in Southeast Asia, though the T. tumpara is endemic to Siau Island. This species was located geographically using GIS and Geographic Profiling and they have found that they live in a small range of 125 km$^{2}$, with an even smaller occupancy range of approximately 19.4 km$^{2}$. The tumpara tarsier species has a population of approximately 1,358-12,470 and is declining due to the many threats they face.

Sulawesi Map

Conservation

The Sangihe Islands are known for their critically endangered avifauna, and concerns about the conservation status of the Siau Island tarsier grew before its formal description.

The Siau Island tarsier was selected for the list of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates" by the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Primate Specialist Group. both sentences copied from article Siau Island tarsier. Some of the reasons as to why this species of tarsier is critically endangered is because they are hunted for their meat, to be used as traditional medicine and to be sold as domestic pets in the pet trade. Its habit is at risk as it is not recorded a protected area, and therefore is subjective to drastic habitat loss if no conservation practices are put in place. The progressive disappearance of its habitat, with the high density of the Siau human population [311 people/km2], restrains the primate communities within a small area. Other threats such as the volcanic activities of the island, though most of these are interconnected and all play an important role in the endangerment of the tumpara tarsier. This species is rapidly declining, having declined by more than 25% in the last 25 years.

Reproduction

Siau Island Tarsiers can reach sexual maturity at two years old, this means that they carry and give birth to an offspring. The pregnancy lasts around six months and the mother can only give birth to a small infant at a time.

Nutrition

They are a carnivorous species that feed on small animals such as frogs, lizards and small birds, but mostly eat insects like spiders. They have a very wide mouth, strong jaw and sharp teeth which help them feed off small animals.