Hobbies And Interests
Warm
Tarsiers require a warm ecosystem to exist. The rainforests of the Philippines and the islands of Indonesia provide that habitat. A tarsier weighs 3 to 6 oz., making it a very small and vulnerable mammal that needs the warm habitat with trees for protection and insects for food. Tarsiers cannot survive outside the warmth of the rainforest; efforts to breed them in captivity have not been successful. They do not live long outside the rainforest.
Trees
Tarsiers are arboreal, that is, they need trees for their homes and their environment. They climb trees, jump from tree and tree and hide in the hollows. As nocturnal animals, they spend their days in and around trees sleeping in protected areas. Tarsiers require an ecosystem with large numbers of trees; rainforests provide the trees, although the number of trees in the rainforest declines each year.
Insects
Despite their small size, tarsiers are nocturnal hunters that possess night vision aided by their large eyes. Their prey is insects, which they eat alive. They depend upon their large ears for hearing while hunting, and their heads which can turn up to 180 degrees. An ecosystem like the tropical rainforest with large numbers of insects is necessary for tarsier survival.
Protection
Tarsiers now have a protected rainforest ecosystem on the island of Bohol in the Philippines. The Philippine Tarsius Foundation on Bohol supports the primates and provides the protected habitat. With between 5,000 and 10,000 tarsiers left in the wild, protection efforts are critical. The foundation welcomes visitors who wish to see tarsiers in their natural rainforest ecosystem.