The Philippine tarsier, as its name indicates is endemic to the Philippines; albeit, around 45 millions years ago, they were known to populate rainforests around the world.  They are primarily found in the island of Bohol and Leyte in Central Philippines and in the remaining rainforest of Sarangani Province, near the southernmost of the country. However, as human population continues to grow, farming as the livelihood of many of the common Filipino folks increasingly become extensive, disturbing much of the natural habitats of these primates that qualify as one of the smallest around the world.

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Although not the smallest, the Philippine tarsiers are remarkably tiny animals. Standing around six (6) to five (5) inches makes them very difficult to spot. The adult male averages around one hundred thirty four (134) grams, while its female counterpart can only weigh as light as one hundred seventeen grams (117) grams.  They are too small that a full adult tarsier could perch comfortably on adult human palm. Like all other primate orders, these lovely tarsiers possess immobile eyes; however to compensate such a disability, their eyes are so large to the extent of being disproportionate to their skulls, aiding them greatly in their nocturnal life of hunting. Their huge eyes have been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest among mammals.  Moreover, the angular immobility of their eyes is consummately compensated by their ability to turn their heads up to a half circle rotation; while their huge ears are also angularly mobile, like satellite receiver antennas. For exceptional balance, they are aided by their hairless tails – except for a thick fur at the end – which can extend twice as long as their bodies. Their thick and silky fur appears in gray to dark brown.

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The Philippine tarsiers live and thrive more in both primary and secondary forest with thick and green vegetation of bushes, trees, tall grasses and bamboo shoots that offer them good protection. In secondary forests, they are known to prefer dense and low level vegetation to allow them in their natural perching height of around two (2) meters above the ground.  Studies have shown that tarsiers are solitary animals, but would accidentally meet at night as they hunt for foods.  Male tarsiers are known to occupy a home territory of around six (6) hectares; while the less-roaming females are believe to occupy a relatively smaller territorial area of more than two (2) hectares. Sixteen (16) females and forty one (41) males is the consensus with regard to population density per one hundred (100) hectares.     

Apart from human intervention in their multiplicity, their population also diminishes from their being easy free to nocturnal owls and other tarsier-preying birds. Further, wild cats or feral cats that stumbled into their territory also feed on them. For their part, tarsiers feed on small lizards and worms, but primarily prey on insects such as crickets and grasshoppers, making them insectivores rather than a carnivorous mammal.

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Although solitary for the most part of their lives, they are found to be sometimes monogamous and polygamous in their mating system. Tarsiers send out cricket-like sound to communicate with each other during mating seasons. After which they would resume their solitary and shy lifestyle, hiding and sleeping in the deep hollows close to the trunks of trees and bushes situated amidst impenetrable forests, becoming awake and active only at night to hunt for foods. They are so agile at hunting and avoiding potential preys, and are extremely adroit at jumping from branch to branch in both slating and vertical paths.

Unlike the reproductive processes of other mammals, the Philippine tarsier gives birth to only one offspring per gestation period.  The female pregnancy or gestation period lasts six (6) months, while the estrous cycle takes twenty five (25) to twenty eight (28) days. The infant is born already hairy and eyes wide open.  The mother carries her young in her mouth, and in less than a month it can start jumping and leaping, thus the ability to hunt foods in such a short period of dependence. In captivity, tarsiers do not reproduce as much when they are in their natural habitat.

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In taxonomy, the Philippine tarsier is neither a monkey nor the smallest primate. It is related, however, to such primates as lemurs, gorillas, monkeys and humans. It belongs to small evolutionary group that biologists call prosimian, which are having phylogenetic features, prompting researchers to classify tarsiers to be more closely related to apes and monkeys. They were unknown to Western biologists until the 18th century when it was made known to scientific Europe by the missionary, J.G Camel through the descriptive letter from J. Pitever. The former eventually published the existence of the animal, naming it Cercopithecus luzones minimus, later Simia syrichta and, finally Tarsius syrichta, its current scientific name.

Because of their benign and lovely appearance, people love to keep tarsiers as pets; however their survival is unpredictable due to their natural need for live insects upon which to feed. And one thing disadvantageous is the potential of bringing in worms if they are taken as pets. Nonetheless, scientists are greatly interested with these small primates due to their unique and interesting place in taxonomy. 

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A couple of million of years ago, tarsiers were a common sight in rainforests around the world. Today, they are rare and can only be found in a greatly dwindled population in Central and Southern Philippines, the neighboring island of Borneo and the Indonesian archipelago. In Bohol, Philippines, in particular, tarsiers had been an ordinary sight back in the 1960’s.  Today, their natural habitats are rapidly disappearing, brought forth by the increasing demand to convert their natural habitats to farmlands, housing, roads and other human activities associated to the exponentially growing population. In expected consequence, the once numerous Philippine tarsiers are now greatly dwindling. In addition, people have increasingly learned how to keep these tiny animals as pets, thus the trade. In captivity, however, tarsiers are found to live around twelve (12) years only, half of their natural lifetime. Today, the Philippine tarsier is now listed among the endangered species and whose survival is greatly imperiled if an immediate action is not taken.

Nevertheless, the Philippine government and other concerned organizations in the country are now spearheading various actions aimed to preserve the specie. For one, a natural sanctuary has been established in the town of Corella, Bohol, where tarsiers are allowed to live as natural as possible, while visitors are afforded a firsthand sightseeing of these adorable and submissive animals. For another, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have imposed stricter laws and ordinances in preservation and protection of the rare Philippine tarsiers.