Greetings from the Philippines
Tarsiers in Bohol
Some things I learned about tarsiers at a visit to their Conservation Area in Bohol:
They are one of the smallest primates in the world, not much bigger than a human fist
Their eyes are bigger than their brains
Their eyeballs are fixed but they can rotate their heads 180 degrees
They have just one baby at a time; when born the babies are the size of your thumb and can jump from tree to tree when just one day old
They are impossibly cute
Star Wars’ Yoda is sometimes said to have been modelled on them
They are nocturnal and spend the day dozing under big leaves in the forest, making them very difficult to photograph clearly!
37 Comments
Anonymous
So adorable! I’ve never heard of the name “tarsiers” but had you not told us, I would have thought they were “bush babies”! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
They do look rather like bush babies, I agree
equinoxio21
They’re lemurs if I recall? Cousins of those in Madagascar?
So that’s where you are? Philippines?
We were close by. Singapore, Cambodia and Indonesia
Cheers
Sarah Wilkie
No, not lemurs, but primates as they are. Yes, we were in the Philippines but on our way home now.
equinoxio21
Safe travels.
Teresa
So you’ve been up north and now in the mid island. The Tarsiers are so cute aren’t they?
Sarah Wilkie
Adorable! Yes, we ‘did’ Luzon, Bohol and finished on Miniloc Island, off Palawan (near El Nido)
Heyjude
I just love their hands! And yes, definitely Yoda-esque. Are they only found in the Philippines?
Sarah Wilkie
These ones are, but there are related tarsier species elsewhere, confined to Borneo and Indonesia.
grandmisadventures
Oh that is adorable- I love the big eyes and the round finger tips 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, the fingers fascinated me almost as much as their eyes!
kzmcb
Definitely yoda look-alikes
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, they really are!
Annie Berger
Had heard of tarsiers before but I knew nothing about them and couldn’t have picked one out in a ‘lineup’ of animals, Sarah. Thanks for telling us about the adorable mammal.
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you enjoyed them Annie 😀 Phil and Michaela were there yesterday and were told they’re the SECOND smallest primate so my info may not be correct!
Amy
Oooh, one of the smallest primates in the world! How special, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, we felt privileged to be able to see them Amy 😀
Amy
Thank you for sharing with us!
Terri Webster Schrandt
So tiny, but darn cute, Sarah, thanks for sharing them.
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you liked them Terri 😀
the eternal traveller
I haven’t heard of these before. Dear little things.
Sarah Wilkie
They are, and they’re one of the reasons we wanted to visit the Philippines!
Anne Sandler
Yes, impossibly cute!
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you agree Anne 😀
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Fascinating! And like everyone else I agree with impossibly cute.
Sarah Wilkie
I defy anyone not to find them cute!
Vicki
Awwwww. So cute! Reminds me of some kind of alien possum with those big eyes. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, they do look rather alien, don’t they?!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Our turn tomorrow….hopefully! They are ridiculously cute, can’t wait to see one for the first time.
Sarah Wilkie
You’ll love them!
Alison
Wow so much information there Sarah, I had to look at my thumb. Very cute indeed
Sarah Wilkie
We watched a video about them which was full of facts!
Sue
Oh, they ARE impossibly über cute!!
Sarah Wilkie
Aren’t they just?!
Sue
😄
margaret21
Oh, as you say, impossibly cute! I didn’t realise how VERY tiny they are, especially the babies. Thanks for such an uplifting post when the world at large is so very grim.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, we all need some cuteness in our lives right now 🤗