The Siau Island tarsier (Tarsius tumpara ) is a species of tarsier from the tiny volcanic island of Siau in Indonesia. 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 tarsier's 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.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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starts withThe 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.
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.
Siau Island tarsiers can reach sexual maturity at two years old, this means that they carry and give birth to an offspring. Pregnancy lasts around six months and the mother gives birth to a single offspring.
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. 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. 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 since it is not recorded as 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 large population of the Siau people, 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.
