The tarsier is a small primate belonging to the family Tarsiidae, found on various Southeast Asian islands, including the Philippines. They are intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys, with a body length of about 9–16 cm, excluding their tails, which are about twice as long. Tarsiers are nocturnal and have a strong sense of smell like lemurs, but their noses, eyes, and placentas are similar to those of monkeys, apes, and humans. These entirely carnivorous primates have the ability to rotate their heads 180°, and they move through the forest by leaping from tree to tree using their elongated hind limbs.

To which group of animals do tarsiers belong?

Tarsiers belong to the suborder Haplorrhini, which also includes monkeys, apes, and humans. Within Haplorrhini, tarsiers are further classified into their own infraorder, Tarsiiformes. The infraorder Tarsiiformes contains one living family, Tarsiidae, with one genus and about seven Asian species. Tarsiers are small primates found on various Southeast Asian islands and are intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys.

What do tarsiers look like?

Tarsiers are small primates, about 3.5 to 6 inches long, excluding their tails, which are typically twice that length. Their heads can rotate 180 degrees, and they have large, membranous ears that are almost constantly in motion. Tarsiers have a short face and a round head. Their fur is thick and silky, ranging from gray to dark brown. One of the most notable features of tarsiers is their enormous eyes, which can take up half of their head. These primates also have especially long ankle bones (tarsals), hence their name. Most species have a scaly tail, like a rat's, with an edging or terminal brush of hair, though the Philippine tarsier has a totally bald tail.

Where do tarsiers live in the wild?

Tarsiers, small primates, live exclusively on various islands of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. They can be found in the southern Philippines, Celebes (Sulawesi), Borneo, Bangka, Belitung, the Natuna Islands, and Sumatra. Within Indonesia and Malaysia, the Western tarsier dwells in old-growth and secondary forests and low scrubby vegetation, even near villages. The South Sulawesi, or spectral, tarsier lives on Celebes and its offshore islands. The Philippine tarsier is found in the Philippines.

What special adaptations do tarsiers have for hunting or moving?

Tarsiers possess unique adaptations for hunting and mobility. Their heads can rotate 180 degrees, compensating for their fixed eyes, and they have excellent night vision due to the size of their eyes. Tarsiers have elongated hind limbs that allow them to leap between trees. Their digits have expanded tips that function as adhesive pads, aiding their grip while climbing. They are the only entirely carnivorous primates, preying on insects, lizards, and snakes.

Why are tarsiers important to their ecosystems and how are they threatened in the wild?

Tarsiers play a vital role in their ecosystems as the only entirely carnivorous primates, preying on insects, lizards, and snakes. They help control populations of these animals. The Philippine tarsier is threatened by human settlement in its habitat. Habitat loss and degradation are major threats, as they require specific forest environments to survive. Some other threats include hunting and the pet trade. Their populations are declining, making conservation efforts crucial for their survival.

tarsier

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Learn about tarsiers and the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Corella, Bohol island

An illustration of a Sulawesi or spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) clinging to a branch, showing its large eyes, long fingers, and elongated tail, with a scale bar indicating size.

Horsefield's tarsier (Tarsius bancanus) clings to the side of a tree, showing its large orange eyes and small, furry body, in a forest setting in Borneo.

At a Glance

tarsier summary

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: South Sulawesi tarsier; Western tarsier; Necrolemur antiquus; Philippine tarsier; pygmy tarsier

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tarsier

primate

Also known as: Tarsiidae

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 1, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a tarsier?
The tarsier is a small primate belonging to the family Tarsiidae, found on various Southeast Asian islands, including the Philippines. They are intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys, with a body length of about 9–16 cm, excluding their tails, which are about twice as long. Tarsiers are nocturnal and have a strong sense of smell like lemurs, but their noses, eyes, and placentas are similar to those of monkeys, apes, and humans.

These entirely carnivorous primates have the ability to rotate their heads 180°, and they move through the forest by leaping from tree to tree using their elongated hind limbs.
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To which group of animals do tarsiers belong?
Tarsiers belong to the suborder Haplorrhini, which also includes monkeys, apes, and humans. Within Haplorrhini, tarsiers are further classified into their own infraorder, Tarsiiformes. The infraorder Tarsiiformes contains one living family, Tarsiidae, with one genus and about seven Asian species. Tarsiers are small primates found on various Southeast Asian islands and are intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys.
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What do tarsiers look like?
Tarsiers are small primates, about 3.5 to 6 inches long, excluding their tails, which are typically twice that length. Their heads can rotate 180 degrees, and they have large, membranous ears that are almost constantly in motion. Tarsiers have a short face and a round head. Their fur is thick and silky, ranging from gray to dark brown.

One of the most notable features of tarsiers is their enormous eyes, which can take up half of their head. These primates also have especially long ankle bones (tarsals), hence their name. Most species have a scaly tail, like a rat's, with an edging or terminal brush of hair, though the Philippine tarsier has a totally bald tail.
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1. 10 Animals With Evolutionary Traits Plucked Straight Out of a Nightmare: Philippine Tarsier
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Where do tarsiers live in the wild?
Tarsiers, small primates, live exclusively on various islands of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. They can be found in the southern Philippines, Celebes (Sulawesi), Borneo, Bangka, Belitung, the Natuna Islands, and Sumatra.

Within Indonesia and Malaysia, the Western tarsier dwells in old-growth and secondary forests and low scrubby vegetation, even near villages. The South Sulawesi, or spectral, tarsier lives on Celebes and its offshore islands. The Philippine tarsier is found in the Philippines.
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What special adaptations do tarsiers have for hunting or moving?
Tarsiers possess unique adaptations for hunting and mobility. Their heads can rotate 180 degrees, compensating for their fixed eyes, and they have excellent night vision due to the size of their eyes. Tarsiers have elongated hind limbs that allow them to leap between trees. Their digits have expanded tips that function as adhesive pads, aiding their grip while climbing. They are the only entirely carnivorous primates, preying on insects, lizards, and snakes.
2 Britannica Sources
1. 10 Animals With Evolutionary Traits Plucked Straight Out of a Nightmare: Philippine Tarsier
2. tarsier
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why are tarsiers important to their ecosystems and how are they threatened in the wild?
Tarsiers play a vital role in their ecosystems as the only entirely carnivorous primates, preying on insects, lizards, and snakes. They help control populations of these animals.

The Philippine tarsier is threatened by human settlement in its habitat. Habitat loss and degradation are major threats, as they require specific forest environments to survive. Some other threats include hunting and the pet trade. Their populations are declining, making conservation efforts crucial for their survival.
1 Britannica Source
1. tarsier
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

tarsier, (family Tarsiidae), any of about 13 species of small leaping primates found only on various islands of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Tarsiers are intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys, measuring only about 9–16 cm (3.5–6 inches) long, excluding a tail of about twice that length. Tarsiers are lemurlike in being nocturnal and having a well-developed sense of smell. However, like monkeys, apes, and humans, they have a nose that is dry and hair-covered, not moist and bald as is that of lemurs. The eyes and placenta are also simiiform in structure.

The tarsier’s small brain has an enormous visual cortex to process information from the large goggling eyes, the animal’s most striking feature. The size of the eyes and visual cortex is probably made necessary by the absence of a reflective layer (tapetum) that the eyes of most other nocturnal mammals possess. The tarsier is also unusual in having especially long ankle bones (tarsals, hence the name tarsier), a short body, and a round head that can be rotated 180°. The face is short, with large, membranous ears that are almost constantly in motion. The fur is thick, silky, and coloured gray to dark brown. The tail is scaly on the underside like a rat’s; in most species it has an edging or terminal brush of hair.

Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primates, preying on insects, lizards, and snakes. Clinging upright to trees, they press the tail against the trunk for support. Their grip is also aided by the tips of their digits, which are expanded into disklike adhesive pads. Tarsiers move through the forest by launching themselves from trunk to trunk propelled by their greatly elongated hind limbs.

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

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Adults live in monogamous pairs and keep in contact vocally during the night, defending territory against other pairs using extremely high-pitched calls. On the island of Celebes (Sulawesi) these calls are duets—different but complementary calls made by the male and female. Single young are born in a fairly well-developed state, furred and with eyes open, after a gestation of perhaps six months.

Tarsiers live on the islands of the southern Philippines, Celebes (Sulawesi), Borneo, Bangka, Belitung, the Natuna Islands, and Sumatra. Species differ so much across this range that some authorities are inclined to classify them in different genera. In Indonesia and Malaysia the Western tarsier (Tarsius bancanus) has huge bulging eyes, making the head broader than it is long; it also has the longest feet, and its tail is tufted at the tip. It thrives in both old-growth and secondary forests but can also be found in low scrubby vegetation, even around villages. The South Sulawesi, or spectral, tarsier (T. tarsier, formerly called T. spectrum) is primitive, with smaller eyes, shorter feet, and a hairier tail. There are several species on Celebes and its offshore islands, but most have not yet been described scientifically. The most distinctive is the high-mountain pygmy tarsier (T. pumilus). Until it was rediscovered in 2008, the last living pygmy tarsier specimen had been seen in 1921. The Philippine tarsier (T. syrichta) has a totally bald tail, and the feet are also nearly hairless. Human settlement in its habitat threatens its continued existence.

Tarsier taxonomy is a matter of some debate; however, most biologists divide Tarsiidae into three genera (Tarsius, Cephalopachus, and Carlito [Philippine tarsiers]) and recognize 13 or more species. At least one taxonomy, however, recognizes only seven species and places all of these within Tarsius. Tarsiers are classified with monkeys, apes, and humans (infraorder Simiiformes) in the suborder Haplorrhini, but it constitutes a separate infraorder, Tarsiiformes.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.

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