biology

Pygmy tarsier

Pygmy tarsier is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pygmy tarsier rather than just read about it. In short: The pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), also known as the mountain tarsier or the lesser spectral tarsier, is a nocturnal primate found in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, in an area with lower vegetative species diversity than the lowland tropical forests. The pygmy tarsier was believed to have become extinct in the early 20th century.

Key takeaways

Pygmy tarsier belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pygmy tarsier to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pygmy tarsier from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The pygmy tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), also known as the mountain tarsier or the lesser spectral tarsier, is a nocturnal primate found in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, in an area with lower vegetative species diversity than the lowland tropical forests. The pygmy tarsier was believed to have become extinct in the early 20th century. Then, in 2000, Indonesian scientists accidentally killed one while trapping rats. The first pygmy tarsiers seen alive since the 1920s were found by a research team led by Dr. Sharon Gursky and Ph.D. student Nanda Grow from Texas A&M University on Mount Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park in August 2008. The two males and single female (a fourth escaped) were captured using nets, and were radio collared to track their movements. As the first live pygmy tarsiers seen in 80-plus years, these captures dispelled the belief among some primatologists that the species was extinct.

Description The pygmy tarsier has a head-body length of 95 to 105 mm (3.7 to 4.1 in), and weighs less than 57 g (2.0 oz), which makes it smaller and lighter than other tarsier species. Likewise, its ears are also smaller than those of the rest of genus Tarsius. Its fur is tan or buff with predominant grey or brownish red coloring. Its tail is heavily haired and ranges from 135 to 275 mm (5.3 to 10.8 in), and functions in balance when leaping. The pygmy tarsier has nails on all five digits of each hand and on two digits of each foot. The claw-like nails aid in its grasping strength and are also used as an aid in its need for vertical support for feeding and movement. Pygmy tarsiers exhibit low sexual dimorphism, so both sexes are similar in size and appearance. The most noticeable feature of the pygmy tarsier are its large eyes, which are about 16 mm (0.63 in) in diameter. Unlike other nocturnal species, tarsiers lack a tapetum lucidum due to the diurnal evolutionary history of primates. To make up for this, tarsiers have evolved their large eyes to maximize available light. Tarsiers eyes cannot move in their sockets, but their necks have the ability to turn their heads almost 360 degrees.

Habitat The pygmy tarsier is endemic to the mossy cloud forests of central Sulawesi, Indonesia and found at altitudes of 1,800–2,200 m (5,900–7,200 ft). The canopy of the mountain forests are low in height and undergrowth is much denser than the lowland forests. The plant diversity is low and covered in thick mosses, resulting in decreased habitat productivity. Pygmy Tarsiers handle this challenging habitat by living at the edge of forests where prey is more abundant.

Diet Pygmy tarsiers are insectivorous, feeding primarily on arthropods. Due to their arboreal lifestyle, their diet consists of airborne insects found in the forest canopy such as moths, grasshoppers, and katydids.

Behavior and ecology The pygmy tarsier is found in stable bonded pairs, remaining together for up to 15 months. This stable pair bond is usually monogamous. The species has two breeding seasons, one at the beginning of the rainy season and the other at the end, separated by about 6 months. Gestation lasts 178 days on average, and births occur in May and from November to December. Infants are quite precocial, and develop quickly, similar to other juveniles in the genus. The offspring begin capturing their own prey around 42 days of age, and travel in groups after only 23 days. Young females remain with parents until adulthood, while young males leave the natal group as juveniles. The pygmy tarsier is nocturnal or crepuscular, and is mainly arboreal. It spends most of the daylight hours sleeping on vertical branches in the canopy. T. pumilus is not a nest builder. Unlike other tarsier species, it does not use scent glands to mark territorial boundaries. Also tactile communication and interaction is important with the pygmy tarsier, as in other tarsier species. Some species of tarsier have recently been found to communicate at ultrasonic frequencies of around 70 kHz on the islands of Bohol and Leyte. The ultrasonic range of their communication is well beyond what may be detected by the human ear and is a distinct advantage to keeping their communication species-specific.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pygmy tarsier

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pygmy tarsier claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pygmy tarsier before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pygmy tarsier ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pygmy tarsier

In research: Pygmy tarsier appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pygmy tarsier in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pygmy tarsier is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arboreal mammals, Endemic fauna of Indonesia, IUCN Red List endangered species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pygmy tarsier outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pygmy tarsier in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pygmy tarsier means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pygmy tarsier out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pygmy tarsier in simple terms?

Why does Pygmy tarsier matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pygmy tarsier?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pygmy tarsier.