Tiny, but very cute little animals, the longhorns inhabit the islands of Southeast Asia, the Philippine Islands and the Malay Archipelago. These fluffy little lumps can’t help but appeal to all wildlife lovers.

He is so unusual and looks at us so wonderfully, as if we were the exotic and not himself. The critter hides in the jungle and bamboo thickets. The animal’s thick, silky fur is grayish-brown.

They are trusting, curious, and at the same time very shy. The local population ruthlessly exterminates them in order to eat them. It’s strange, because tarsiers are so small.

The animal weighs 80 to 150 grams and its body length is 8 to 16 cm. They have a long tail (13 – 27cm), not covered with fur, only a tassel on the end. Dense body, short neck, large head and long limbs, with hind legs much larger than front paws.

The round muzzle has large rounded ears that are constantly moving, responding to the sounds of nature, they are not covered with fur. The nose is small, but the eyes…. They are just huge for a longhorn. The eyes are fixed, and when the animal is frightened they seem even bigger and bulging. Since he leads a nocturnal lifestyle, his eyes should see well in the dark, that’s why they are so big. This is an adaptation to bad light.

His neck is mobile and can rotate almost 360 degrees, please, and you have a wide view, since the pupils are fixed. The eye can be up to 20 cm in diameter, and the eye orbit is protected by bone. One eye is larger than its brain. The animal’s mouth is wide, and it seems to be able to smile. The front incisors are large and resemble primate teeth. The other teeth are small.

The animal’s paws are thick and long. Especially distinguished by long thin fingers with a seal at the tips and small claws. The front limbs resemble a human hand. This little guy is the best of all the primates to hold upright on a tree, thanks to its thickened – pads on its fingers.

The hind legs of the animal are interesting due to the strongly protruding and elongated heel on the foot. It has an excellent repulsive support when jumping, which can reach a length of 250 cm and a height of 175 cm. But how does he do it, because he’s so small? The moment it jumps, its paws extend, it looks like a frog.

They live in pairs or in small groups. During the day they hide in crevices and hollows, less often they sit hooked with all their paws on a branch. This is how they rest or sleep, and at night they go hunting. They do not go down on the ground. They eat insects and small vertebrates. Their favorite food is the cricket. Invisible hunters sit on a branch, looking intently at their prey, and then they instantly jump and seize their prey. First the hunter bites it, and then he eats it. They are able to talk to each other with sounds similar to a whistle.

A female’s pregnancy lasts six months. One calf is born, with open and seeing eyes, dressed in fur. It weighs about 25 grams and is 70 mm tall. The tail is long, even for a born baby, up to 115 mm. The baby has claws that it uses to grab onto its mother’s warm belly. Feeding on milk. Already three days after birth, the cub can move around.

Its mother carries it with her and, if necessary, carries it with her teeth, holding it by the scruff of the neck. It will be 20 days, and the baby will be more independent. By the way, the other residents of the group help in the upbringing of the little offspring to his parents. They even feed him by bringing him tasty food.

In the wild, tarsiers live about 10 years. Included in the Red Book.

Species of tarsiers: Balkan tarsier; Filipino tarsier; Long-billed tarsier.