The Lariang tarsier (Tarsius lariang ) is a recently described tarsier occurring in the western part of the central core of Sulawesi. Six museum specimens of this species are known, two of which have been misidentified as the pygmy tarsier before their correct identity came out. This species has been named after the Lariang River, an important river in the part of Sulawesi where this species occurs.
This species has darker fur than the other Sulawesi tarsiers. The dorsal fur is greyish brown. The blackish tail ends in a dark pencil-like point. There is a clearly discernible dark ring around the eyes. The third digit on the hands is very long. It is the second-largest tarsier; only the Sangihe tarsier is larger; published body weights are 67 to 117 g.
The species scientific name Tarsius lariang translates to Lariang Tarsier. The name was given to the species because of their distribution along the landmark of the Lariang River in Sulawesi. The river Lariang is a major study region for this species of tarsier.
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starts withThe Lariang tarsier (T. lariang ) is portrayed by its dark grey-buff pelage, thick black pencil-like tail, finely marked black paranasal stripes, along with the form of black eye rims that distinguish it from its neighbor to the east (Tarsius dianae). They are missing brown tones on their thighs and have a small bald spot at the base of their ear. To determine them from other Sulawesi mainland tarsiers they are distinguished to have a longer third middle finger. However, it is also the largest of the Sulawesi tarsiers.
The distribution of T. lariang is either allopatric or parapatric with no occurrence of the species being sympatric. They are found only on the eastern Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Their range includes from Palu Bay to Makassar Strait to Lore-Lindu National Park. Populations of T. lariang occur on both sides of the Lariang River. It mostly inhabits the northern part of Western Sulawesi while bordering its congener Tarsius dentatus along the Palu-Koro fault. This species is strictly endemic to the regions of Central and West Sulawesi.
The Lariang tarsiers are obligate faunivores with the main part of their diet consisting of insects. They would be considered strictly insectivores if it weren't for their occasional interest in eating lizards such as house geckos, snakes, birds, and even bats. Crickets make up most of the tarsiers diet because of their great abundance and availability. Tarsiers are known to consume about 10% of their body weight daily, which translates to around 15.4 g of food per day. They do prefer a more varied diet. Scientists have found that if fed crickets for a long period of time they start to reject them and seek a different prey item. Their preference of a prey item increases as the availability of the item decreases. Tarsiers usually ambush their prey on the forest floors with vertical perches of about 0.5-1.0 m high. They tend to catch prey items that could more easily escape first, leaving the easier catch for last. They are nocturnal so the majority of their hunting occurs at night.
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