Philippine Tarsier

Quick Facts 

Name: Philippine Tarsier 

Diet: Insects, spiders, small lizards and birds 

Behaviour: Nocturnal and arboreal  

Lifespan: Up to 20 years 

Size: 8.5 - 16cm in length and 80-165 grams in weight. With the largest eye-to-body ratio of any mammal with their 1.6cm in diameter eyes! 

Habitat/Range: Southeastern Philippines, commonly in Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao.  

Threats: High infant mortality, severe habitat destruction, light pollution, and being hunted illegally for the bushmeat and pet trade. 

Conservation Status: Near Threatened  

Names & Nicknames: Philippine Tarsier, Mawumag, Magô, Mamag

Smell: Tarsiers are fiercely territorial, and they mark their territory using special scent glands in their face, stomach, and genital region and by urinating. We don’t recommend you try that for your home!

Size: One of the smallest primates and easily able to fit in the palm, these munchkins only reach around 16cm in length and 100 or so grams in weight. They do have a pretty impressive 25cm tail to be proud of though.

Communication: Philippine Tarsiers were often described as quiet, only occasionally letting out the odd whistle or chirp, but they're actually quite rowdy; it's just at a frequency humans can’t hear. These singers were shown to emit squeaky calls well above the vocal range of any known monkey or ape. Using these secret calls, they can chatter with each other without being eavesdropped by predators, and their ability to hear calls of this frequency allows them to hone in on their insect prey.

Favourite Hangout: Like all tarsiers, the Philippine variety live like little Tarzans, leaping through the trees and shrubs of their forest homes. As the name suggests, Philippine tarsiers are only found in the Philippines; specifically, their favourite places to hang are the Southeastern islands: Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao.

Favourite Snack: Tarsiers are the only full carnivorous primates, eating absolutely no plant matter. (Talk about not getting your veggies!) They are primarily insectivores, snacking on any critter they can get their mitts on. But they are not opposed to the occasional spider, lizard, or even small bird.

Eating Habits: Midnight munchies! Philippine tarsiers are nocturnal, emerging from their hidey holes at sunset to start the search for snacks. They leap through the trees, using heightened senses of sight, smell, and hearing to locate their prey. They'll wait patiently before it's in range, before leaping over or snatching it with their grippy lil hands.

Shocking Fact: Cuddly-looking, maybe, but they do have a territorial side. If a rival male wanders onto their turf, Philippine tarsiers might end up fighting them to the death – maybe they only came over to say hello?!

Love Language: Philippine tarsiers like to get straight down to business. One study found that a breeding pair will mate first after waking up. Unlike some other tarsier species, Philippine tarsiers are not monogamous and do not breed seasonally, preferring to be on the dating scene all year round.

If you see them: Keep your distance and try not to disturb them. If you see them during the day, they will be sleeping, and no one likes a rude awakening! They can easily become extremely stressed from disturbances – so they often fare badly in captivity. If the stress gets too much, they can even take their own lives by whacking their head against a rock or tree trunk... so please give these furballs their peace and quiet, and do your research before going to any tarsier sanctuary to make sure they are properly cared for!

Red Flags: It's tough at the top. They face extensive habitat destruction and are often illegally hunted for the bushmeat and pet trade (and they don't make very good pets). As a nocturnal species, light pollution is getting right on their nerves, and their forest homes are being ripped apart by forest fires and logging, allowing more and more light in. If that wasn't enough, Philippine tarsiers have a high rate of infant mortality, especially problematic when they only give birth to one baby at a time.

Glow-up: Philippine tarsiers are quite literally born-ready. After six months, a single baby is born fully furred and with open eyes. Then, in as little as two days, they can start climbing and exploring around them. After just two weeks, they can leap between trees. Mum's always along for the ride, though, carrying her baby around in her mouth for the first few weeks. Best not to get in between these two – mothers will chase away any intruding tarsiers to ensure her baby has her full attention!

Facts: The Guinness Book of World Records has officially granted the Philippine tarsier the title of having the largest peepers of any mammal relative to its size. Truly a sight for sore eyes.

Who are they in the friendship group: The small one with big eyes. They're very protective of their personal space and just never seem to be around during the day. Speaking of which, make sure you don't wake them up from their midday sleep.

How threatened are they: Near Threatened