Philippine Tarsier

The Philippine tarsier is very peculiar small animal which could be found, only in the province of Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao. Its scientific name is Tarsius syrichta and also known as "mamag", "mago", "magau", "maomag", "malmag" and "magatilok-iok". Tarsier lives on a diet of insects and mostly active at night.

The Philippine tarsier has a gray fur and a nearly naked tail (232 mm). The middle finger is elongated. Head and body length are around 118-149 mm.

Each eyeball is approximately 16 mm in diameter and is as large as their entire brain. It weighs 113-142 grams. Males are larger than females.



Tarsiers have sharp teeth, enabling them to catch their prey easier. Unique among primates, tarsiers have only two, rather than four, incisors in their lower jaw.

The Philippine tarsier is nocturnal; they hunt at night, exclusively for animal prey. At day time, they hide in hollows close to the ground. When kept in captivity, individuals may huddle together or intertwine their tails. They are believed to live in groups, larger than just one male and one female. The female appears to take care for the young exclusively: no male parental care has been observed.

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